Ray & Mascari in growth phase
Ray & Mascari in growth phase
A new tomato repacking facility in Lakeland, FL, has very positively expanded the operations of Indianapolis-based Ray & Mascari Inc.
Owner Rocky Ray said June 1 that eight months after the Florida facility was opened “it is starting to come into its own. It’s just getting up and going.” There were learning experiences and “trial-and-error” tests that have now cleared hurdles.
The 15,000-square-foot facility in early June was shipping five loads of tomatoes a week. Ray said the Indianapolis facility ships as many as 40 tomato truckloads a week.
But the new repacking facility is logistically strong for serving southern markets like Atlanta and the Carolinas.
“It gives us a lot broader scope,” said Ray.
The tomato distributing company handles tomatoes from many U.S. growing areas.
“Ray & Mascari over the course of the last 10 years has experienced double-digit growth on an annual basis,” said Ray. “Business is good. It’s been a blessing for us to continue to operate a family business and work together. For us, it’s best to focus on one item and be successful. You don’t see a lot of businesses anymore that just focus on one item.”
The firm serves both retail and foodservice customers. “We are currently about 60 percent to foodservice and retail 40 percent,” said Ray. “But we are getting some new business, so it may be closer to 50-50. We’d like for it to stay that way.”
Retail customer interest in tomato packaging is becoming more varied, Ray said. On one hand, the firm is enjoying success with a new two-tomato clamshell package. But at the same time, there is a throwback to more customers asking for the old-fashioned pulp or cello-wrap packages.
The retro packaging is partly due to low-cost retail competition. There is also an attractive “back to the basics feel” for some customers, he added.
