Rene Produce celebrates golden anniversary
Rene Produce celebrates golden anniversary
Rene Produce LLC is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The firm was created in 1965 by Rene Carrillo.
Rene involves just one grower and has one distribution center in Nogales, said Jose Humberto Garcia, Rene’s chief operating officer. “We don’t franchise our name,” he said. “We are very proud of what we do and we want to maintain it that way. We are probably the last guys in Nogales to do it that way. When we have something that needs to be addressed, it is addressed quickly.”
Garcia added that many of the original leaders are still active, but they “have the privilege of being involved in everything, without the responsibility.”
Rene was first involved in Culiacan production and continues to farm there. Jaime Hernandez, director of sales, said Rene has been growing in Las Higueras, Sinaloa, for 30 years and has been growing in the Sinaloa town of Dimas for 15 years. As of this season, Rene has new farms in Jalisco.
Hernandez has been with Rene since 1989. He previously worked for Meyer Tomato and Fresh One Marketing.
Garcia said Rene’s production and packinghouses are all PTI compliant and SQF 2000, level three, certified. The firm is non-GMO certified and has a new Rainforest Certification. Among many other features, the broad Rainforest certification includes matters of social responsibility.
Rene’s growing operations have plastic greenhouses and mesh shade houses. It is involved in both organic and conventional production.
Roma tomatoes are Rene’s staple item. The firm also has a large production of European cucumbers, slicer cukes, tomatoes on vine, eggplant and various bell peppers.
Garcia indicated that between May and November 2015, Rene’s farms in Jalisco and Culiacan, Sinaloa, received two-times the rainfall that fell over the same period in 2014.
Garcia said the last big El Nino effect to hit this region predated these days when much of the West Mexico vegetable production comes from mesh shade houses. “We have to learn what it’s like with a different growing environment” with so much rain. To date, “no one knows.”
