Tater Man pulling sweet potato supplies from North Carolina and Mississippi
Tater Man pulling sweet potato supplies from North Carolina and Mississippi
“We have totally cleaned up at our Georgia and Alabama facilities,” Jason Bell, managing member of Tater Man, headquartered in Sydney, FL, said on Jan. 28. “We are currently pulling exclusively out of North Carolina and Mississippi. These programs will last until we start harvesting again in 2015.”
Tater Man’s 2014-15 harvest volume was larger than expected. (Photo courtesy of Tater Man)
Tater Man’s growth is continual year after year. One of its facilities added 1,000 acres this year alone.
“Two other facilities made upgrades to the packinglines, which include stainless steel at all contact points,” he noted.
The company is also growing in staff.
“We are happy to have added Marco Ayala to the Tater Man team,” said Bell. “His duties include coordinating food safety with our packing facilities and customers, and he will be overseeing administrative duties for the company.”
Tater Man’s 2014-15 harvest volume was larger than expected, but after the company progressed through the holidays, Bell said, it now has a good handle on what is in storage.
“It appears that the industry is once again heading into a shortage for the season,” he said. “This is the result of a combination of factors. And, getting into some fields at the optimal time has affected some product that is in storage. A high percentage of grade-outs, including on jumbo sizes, is some reason for concern as we head into the spring and summer.
“As normal, we will be pushing hard to get the very earliest new crop of sweets in 2015,” he added.