New grower-shipper enters melon deal
New grower-shipper enters melon deal
Industry veteran Chris Elsie has launched a new grower-shipper operation called Pura Vida Farms, which is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, and will begin shipping melons in late April.
"We will eventually focus on a wide range of fruits and vegetables, but we are beginning this spring with a melon deal," he told The Produce News March 26.
The firm will start with a small Mexican watermelon deal in late April and then will begin shipping cantaloupes, honeydews and mixed melons in late May from Arizona and California. "We will have both a spring and fall melon deal, so we are expecting to start [with cantaloupes and honeydews] on May 25, and we will ship through Thanksgiving."
Mr. Elsie began his produce career in 1992 with Del Monte, where he reached the position of vice president of sales before leaving in 2000. From 2000 to 2004, he was director of non-banana products for Chiquita, where he oversaw melons, pineapples and grapes. For the past four years, he was vice president of sales for Martori Farms, a major melon grower-shipper that also operates from Scottsdale, AZ.
"I left Martori on the best of terms," he said. "They are a great company and I would not have left to join someone else. But I had the chance to become an entrepreneur, and that's what everyone wants to do. Steve [Martori] has helped me and encouraged me and given me some very good tips in starting my own deal."
After years of working with very large companies such as Chiquita and Del Monte, Mr. Elsie believes there is a good niche to be filled by medium-sized grower-shippers. He said that Pura Vida Farms has established grower deals and will have an economic involvement in the crops that it is representing and selling.
Mr. Elsie is the president and owner of the company, but he said that Wes Liefer, president of United Produce Sales in Brea, CA, is a partner in the operation and will be directly involved in sales.
"United Produce Sales is not involved in the new company, but Wes is," said Mr. Elsie. "He will come to Scottsdale during the summer months and sell the melon deal."
Besides production from California and Arizona, Pura Vida Farms has also established Athena melon deals in Florida and Georgia for May and June. "We will start with Athena melons from Florida in May and move to Georgia in June," he said. "We will have those melons through the Fourth of July."
Mr. Elsie said that he is in the process of hiring two other salesmen who will also work from the Scottsdale office. For the first year, the domestic melon deals will be the major focus for the firm, he said. But the company will expand beyond the U.S. borders and into other crops as time goes by.
"We are looking at a citrus program as well as berries, avocados and pineapples," he added.
"We will eventually focus on a wide range of fruits and vegetables, but we are beginning this spring with a melon deal," he told The Produce News March 26.
The firm will start with a small Mexican watermelon deal in late April and then will begin shipping cantaloupes, honeydews and mixed melons in late May from Arizona and California. "We will have both a spring and fall melon deal, so we are expecting to start [with cantaloupes and honeydews] on May 25, and we will ship through Thanksgiving."
Mr. Elsie began his produce career in 1992 with Del Monte, where he reached the position of vice president of sales before leaving in 2000. From 2000 to 2004, he was director of non-banana products for Chiquita, where he oversaw melons, pineapples and grapes. For the past four years, he was vice president of sales for Martori Farms, a major melon grower-shipper that also operates from Scottsdale, AZ.
"I left Martori on the best of terms," he said. "They are a great company and I would not have left to join someone else. But I had the chance to become an entrepreneur, and that's what everyone wants to do. Steve [Martori] has helped me and encouraged me and given me some very good tips in starting my own deal."
After years of working with very large companies such as Chiquita and Del Monte, Mr. Elsie believes there is a good niche to be filled by medium-sized grower-shippers. He said that Pura Vida Farms has established grower deals and will have an economic involvement in the crops that it is representing and selling.
Mr. Elsie is the president and owner of the company, but he said that Wes Liefer, president of United Produce Sales in Brea, CA, is a partner in the operation and will be directly involved in sales.
"United Produce Sales is not involved in the new company, but Wes is," said Mr. Elsie. "He will come to Scottsdale during the summer months and sell the melon deal."
Besides production from California and Arizona, Pura Vida Farms has also established Athena melon deals in Florida and Georgia for May and June. "We will start with Athena melons from Florida in May and move to Georgia in June," he said. "We will have those melons through the Fourth of July."
Mr. Elsie said that he is in the process of hiring two other salesmen who will also work from the Scottsdale office. For the first year, the domestic melon deals will be the major focus for the firm, he said. But the company will expand beyond the U.S. borders and into other crops as time goes by.
"We are looking at a citrus program as well as berries, avocados and pineapples," he added.
