Rio Queen Citrus to rise from the ashes
Rio Queen Citrus to rise from the ashes
Mike Martin, president of Rio Queen Citrus Inc. in Mission, TX, said that the company is making the best of a bad situation following a June 11 fire that destroyed the company's main office and citrus packingshed.
"What is most important is that we take care of our commitment to our customers," Mr. Martin told The Produce News July 21. "We're emphasizing rebuilding and making everything more efficient."
The fire was touched off by a welding spark that ignited insulation in the 130,000-square-foot shed. Mr. Martin said that high winds fanned the flames and ultimately destroyed the facility.
"We were in the process of the yearly maintenance and upgrade when the fire occurred," Mr. Martin noted.
Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. Only one employee sustained minor burns, and some equipment and office space was salvaged.
Mr. Martin said that the company plans to erect a new facility, which is expected to become operational by Dec. 1. "Demolition is almost finished," he said of the burned facility. "[It will be] another five to 10 days."
Rio Queen Citrus is a high-volume grower-shipper-exporter of fresh citrus, melons and onions. At its peak, the company employs approximately 1,200 people.
"Summer is our off-season," Mr. Martin said.
The shipping season had just finished when the fire erupted. "Just a few weeks earlier, the facility was busy processing citrus and honeydew with a full staff on site," Mr. Martin said.
Company partners are spending 80-90 percent of their time dealing with insurance claims and gathering quotes to replace equipment. While a dollar figure for the damage has yet to be determined, Mr. Martin said it will be significant.
Company staff has been relocated to a new office building adjacent to the Rio Queen Citrus site. "All data are intact, and business processes are already running as usual," Mr. Martin added.
The fire will give Rio Queen Citrus the opportunity to automate packing systems and enhance efficiencies. The company is looking into automated palletizers as a way to deal with growing labor costs. According to Mr. Martin, the state's minimum wage increased on July 24, "and it's going to go up again."
In addition to the automated palletizers, Rio Queen Citrus is also looking at automated bin-filling equipment and will explore other improvements to reduce electrical consumption.
Harvesting activities typically resume in October, and Mr. Martin said there would be some production gap before the new facility becomes operational. To meet customer demand, however, Rio Queen Citrus will pack out of Interstate Fruit & Vegetable in Donna, TX, to keep product flowing to customers. According to Mr. Martin, the plant will operate with two shifts working 20 hours a day.
The industry has also extended a helping hand. Some competitors, Mr. Martin stated, have offered to help. "It was a very nice gesture," he said.
Spirits are lifting at Rio Queen Citrus. "We've been through adversity [with problems such as freezes]," Mr. Martin said. "Thanks to the hard work of our loyal employees, support from the local community and support from those in the industry, we are pushing ahead."
"What is most important is that we take care of our commitment to our customers," Mr. Martin told The Produce News July 21. "We're emphasizing rebuilding and making everything more efficient."
The fire was touched off by a welding spark that ignited insulation in the 130,000-square-foot shed. Mr. Martin said that high winds fanned the flames and ultimately destroyed the facility.
"We were in the process of the yearly maintenance and upgrade when the fire occurred," Mr. Martin noted.
Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. Only one employee sustained minor burns, and some equipment and office space was salvaged.
Mr. Martin said that the company plans to erect a new facility, which is expected to become operational by Dec. 1. "Demolition is almost finished," he said of the burned facility. "[It will be] another five to 10 days."
Rio Queen Citrus is a high-volume grower-shipper-exporter of fresh citrus, melons and onions. At its peak, the company employs approximately 1,200 people.
"Summer is our off-season," Mr. Martin said.
The shipping season had just finished when the fire erupted. "Just a few weeks earlier, the facility was busy processing citrus and honeydew with a full staff on site," Mr. Martin said.
Company partners are spending 80-90 percent of their time dealing with insurance claims and gathering quotes to replace equipment. While a dollar figure for the damage has yet to be determined, Mr. Martin said it will be significant.
Company staff has been relocated to a new office building adjacent to the Rio Queen Citrus site. "All data are intact, and business processes are already running as usual," Mr. Martin added.
The fire will give Rio Queen Citrus the opportunity to automate packing systems and enhance efficiencies. The company is looking into automated palletizers as a way to deal with growing labor costs. According to Mr. Martin, the state's minimum wage increased on July 24, "and it's going to go up again."
In addition to the automated palletizers, Rio Queen Citrus is also looking at automated bin-filling equipment and will explore other improvements to reduce electrical consumption.
Harvesting activities typically resume in October, and Mr. Martin said there would be some production gap before the new facility becomes operational. To meet customer demand, however, Rio Queen Citrus will pack out of Interstate Fruit & Vegetable in Donna, TX, to keep product flowing to customers. According to Mr. Martin, the plant will operate with two shifts working 20 hours a day.
The industry has also extended a helping hand. Some competitors, Mr. Martin stated, have offered to help. "It was a very nice gesture," he said.
Spirits are lifting at Rio Queen Citrus. "We've been through adversity [with problems such as freezes]," Mr. Martin said. "Thanks to the hard work of our loyal employees, support from the local community and support from those in the industry, we are pushing ahead."
