A perfect storm of high volume, high demand and high quality is propelling Henry Avocado customers into a safe harbor with the Escondido, CA-based company for the foreseeable future, according to a July 27 company press release.

Phil Henry inspects one of the five new ripening rooms, which now total 54, that help the year-round marketer meet increased demand for custom ripe orders.Noting that the California crop is peaking now with 17 million pounds of avocados per week, and will total nearly 400 million for the season that winds down after Labor Day, Phil Henry said in the release that the company’s global suppliers are poised to replace the state’s bountiful production without a dip in supply or in level of oil content.

A year-round marketer of avocados for almost three decades, and a prominent grower and shipper in the state for almost five generations, Mr. Henry said the difference between the domestic volumes for this year and last, is as comparable as stormy weather to sunshine.

“Last year’s California numbers were so low, we were thankful for Peru’s first-ever shipments to fill some gaps in late August and September,” Mr. Henry said in the release about the timely USDA approval of Peruvian product, which aided in an uninterrupted supply of the popular fruit that Henry’s customers have come to expect.

Important too was that Peru was able to match the same high quality standards of Mexico and Chile, which Henry Avocado monitors on a year-round basis. Peru has been shipping its Hass avocados to Canada and Europe for several seasons, so its product is well-known and highly regarded.

While Peru will again be part of the flotilla of suppliers Henry Avocado counts on between California harvests, its season ends by October, so Mexico and Chile will play the most prominent roles as offshore resources. Chile has supplied many of Henry’s west coast customers during the fall and early winter, while Avocados from Mexico has become the primary year-round source for Henry’s rapidly growing customer base in Texas and the Midwest.

Like California, Mexico is enjoying above average production in 2012. Mexico harvests year round with production declining during the summer when California peaks. It shipped 8 million to 9 million pounds per week in July, down from 20 million pounds earlier in the year, and its weekly volume will climb again in September.

Chile’s U.S. arrivals are predicted to start in early fall. The timing is much later than last year because of the abundant California crop and availability of the last of the Peruvian imports. By the end of March, when its season shuts down, Chile will have shipped almost 120 million pounds to Henry and other U.S. importers.

The uniformity and quality of the imports from Peru, Mexico and Chile have made the annual transition among global resources remarkably transparent to Henry customers. “All avocado sizes are available throughout the year,” Mr. Henry said in the release, “which allows retailers’ bulk or bagging promotions to go on without interruption.”

Custom ripening, however, is making the biggest impact on the increasing popularity of avocados. Its effect on impulse buying, while beyond measure, is instrumental in the high customer-satisfaction ratings that avocados enjoy.

Henry Avocado pioneered custom ripening for the industry in 1983, and increased its total of forced-air ripening rooms at its distribution centers from 49 to 54 this year. They operate year round in Northern California, Southern California, Texas and Arizona.

Henry Avocado’s multi-state presence ensures on-time delivery at the correct temperature and stage of ripeness ordered by its retail and foodservice customers. A focus on customer satisfaction is underscored by Henry’s publication of a ripening guide for buyers.

The guide describes the five stages of ripening so that avocados can be purchased on an “as-desired” basis. By using agreed-upon terms for the levels of ripeness, customers get maximum accuracy in their orders. To order a guide, contact Rick Illig at 714/447-4306, Jon Ullrich at 830/379-0288, or Billie Jo Dziewit at 210/226-4504.

The opportunities for retailers and restaurants to promote avocados from California, Peru, Chile and Mexico during the late summer, fall and winter season include: Labor Day, Mexican Independence Day, the World Series, Dia de los Muertos, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day and the Super Bowl Sunday event, which is annually the largest day for avocado consumption.

Thanks to a reported El Nino weather pattern in North America, another good California crop is expected for 2013, which should keep buyers happy and customer satisfaction rising.