Mission Produce to build facility in Seattle
Mission Produce to build facility in Seattle
Oxnard, CA-based Mission Produce has completed negotiations to build a Mission Ripe Center in Seattle, scheduled to come on-line in late March.
Mission Ripe Center in Seattle will be more than 20,000 square feet and will house high-tech equipment and ripening rooms similar to those found in Mission's other facilities. The facility will have a staff of 25 people to run the operation and will service Washington, Oregon and western Canada.
The state-of-the-art avocado-ripening facility will complete Missions goal of putting in place a national distribution network where avocados are received, ripened and delivered to regional customer distribution centers, said William Tarleton, a spokesman for the company.
The Seattle ripening facility will become the seventh for Mission, a global avocado packer-shipper. The companys other strategically placed ripening facilities are in Oxnard, CA, Denver, Dallas, New Jersey, Chicago and Atlanta.
"This is the completion of a three-year goal to get nationwide coverage," Mr. Tarleton said.
The companys Oxnard plant has been handling distribution to Washington, Oregon and Canada, but increased transportation costs prompted opening the Seattle facility to better serve that region.
Missions Ripe Centers utilize sophisticated firmness testing equipment that measures the degree of ripeness of an avocado. The equipment categorizes and sorts according to ripeness, allowing Mission to pack and ship avocados that are ripened to customer specification.
After custom-ripening avocados, Mission sends them to its customers distribution centers or stores.
The Seattle facility also signifies growth in avocado sales for Mission, Mr. Tarleton said.
Hispanics are the largest consumers of avocados nationwide, Mr.Tarleton said, adding that the avocado commission and positive press about the health benefits of eating avocados also helped boost the category.
Mission Ripe Center in Seattle will be more than 20,000 square feet and will house high-tech equipment and ripening rooms similar to those found in Mission's other facilities. The facility will have a staff of 25 people to run the operation and will service Washington, Oregon and western Canada.
The state-of-the-art avocado-ripening facility will complete Missions goal of putting in place a national distribution network where avocados are received, ripened and delivered to regional customer distribution centers, said William Tarleton, a spokesman for the company.
The Seattle ripening facility will become the seventh for Mission, a global avocado packer-shipper. The companys other strategically placed ripening facilities are in Oxnard, CA, Denver, Dallas, New Jersey, Chicago and Atlanta.
"This is the completion of a three-year goal to get nationwide coverage," Mr. Tarleton said.
The companys Oxnard plant has been handling distribution to Washington, Oregon and Canada, but increased transportation costs prompted opening the Seattle facility to better serve that region.
Missions Ripe Centers utilize sophisticated firmness testing equipment that measures the degree of ripeness of an avocado. The equipment categorizes and sorts according to ripeness, allowing Mission to pack and ship avocados that are ripened to customer specification.
After custom-ripening avocados, Mission sends them to its customers distribution centers or stores.
The Seattle facility also signifies growth in avocado sales for Mission, Mr. Tarleton said.
Hispanics are the largest consumers of avocados nationwide, Mr.Tarleton said, adding that the avocado commission and positive press about the health benefits of eating avocados also helped boost the category.
