IPR succeeds with McAllen summer ‘experiment’
IPR succeeds with McAllen summer ‘experiment’
RIO RICO, AZ — This summer IPR Fresh, headquartered here, expanded its business with a successful first-time experiment of consolidating in, and shipping through, McAllen, TX, according to Jose Luis Obregon, company president. IPR worked for three months in McAllen.
Obregon said the firm provided consolidation services to customers and shipped commodities that were new to IPR that typically have been shipped through McAllen. These included avocados, limes, papayas and pineapples.
Products that are more traditional in the Nogales area and also regularly shipped by IPR are items like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash.
Jose Luis ObregonThe McAllen experiment “was interesting and will continue this coming year.” In setting up the McAllen operation of IPR early this summer it took 15 days to visit “various suppliers who ship through McAllen and we visited Nogales shippers who go through McAllen. So, we offered a wide array of products through the summer. We can’t take the luxury of a summer break any longer!”
Obregon added, “Working in McAllen increases your opportunities. Nogales is still a strong shipping point.” Despite some talk in the trade, “I really don’t see McAllen taking business away. It’s only complementary business going ahead. We sell to companies in McAllen that don’t have the products we have here. They have different services, different products and different growing areas. McAllen handles products from central Mexico. Nogales handles products from the Pacific side. That is a complement more than it is competition.”
IPR continues to have consolidation services in Rio Rico. The firm’s distribution program remains largely unchanged from last year. One of IPR’s strengths is shipping colored hothouse bell peppers from the last week of September until mid-June.
IPR’s Culiacan tomato deal begins in December.
IPR has added staff to make its warehouse more efficient and has two new bobtail refrigerated trucks.
Alex Durazo has moved to become a salesman after two years as sales coordinator.
“People realize it is something different that we offer,” Obregon said. “We have grown in packages over the years. We believe we have a very solid team. This starts our twelfth season. We look forward to many, many more. We have access to the main labels and our grower relationships in Mexico and very, very strong.”
