Friends become business partners as Prime Produce and H&H align
Friends become business partners as Prime Produce and H&H align
PLACENTIA, CA -- Prime Produce International LLC, here, a year-round supplier of domestic and imported avocados, announced that it has invested in the H&H Avocado Co. in Yorba Linda, CA, and will be marketing fruit packed by H&H in both the "H&H" and "Prime Produce" labels.
Supplying avocados to the trade year-round requires "a strong element of California avocados" as one of the components of the program, said Avi Crane, president of Prime Produce. "We have worked in the past and we continue to work with Corona College Heights," an avocado packer in Riverside, CA, marketing that company's conventional avocados, he said. "However, with our expanding customer base, we realize that we needed an increasing supply of California fruit for our customers."
Mr. Crane told The Produce News that he and H&H President Daren House "have known each other for a long time." H&H, which was founded in 1941, is "a strong company" with "a lot of dedicated growers" in California, and the company is adept at growing and packing avocados, he said. But "with no import program, it was very hard for [Mr. House] to supply his customers year round. So that is where the marriage made sense."
Prime Produce, which markets avocados from Mexico, Chile and the Dominican Republic, and just recently announced that it had signed an exclusive marketing agreement with an avocado growers cooperative in Michoacan, Mexico, is able to meet customer needs all year long, he said.
"Our California avocado programs, along with solid relationships with other quality packers-exporters in Chile, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, gives us year- round avocados to supply our retail, wholesale and foodservice customers in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe," Mr. Crane said. "The H&H volume will be a true complement" to the Corona College Heights program.
Mr. House also was excited about the new partnership. "As I looked at the competitive nature of the avocado business today, it was obvious that H&H needed to align itself with a partner that could provide avocados from sources outside California," he said. "I have known Avi for over 20 years, from the time he was at the California Avocado Commission in the mid 1980s. I can't think of a better person to assure our growers and customers that we will be there for them now and in the future."
"With the consolidating retail environment and the growth in the [avocado] category, it was a good fit for us and H& H," assuring that customers across the country can receive year-round supplies from various producing regions, said Doug Circle, director of business development for Prime Produce. "It is very important for us to be strong" in both California and imported product, he added.
Mr. Circle also said that Prime Produce will continue to pursue alliances with other avocado growers in California and around the world.
"Our objective is to continue to provide our expanding customer base in the U.S. with quality fresh avocados 365 days a year," he said. "Prime Produce now has a combined 400 years experience in the avocado business to get that job done. There are many companies that have entered the avocado deal since February of 2005, when Mexican Hass avocados were allowed into Texas and other states [not including California, Florida and Hawaii]. However, Prime Produce feels strongly that it is in the best interest of customers to align themselves with a superior supplier who will provide product on a year-round basis."
According to a Prime Produce press release, "long-time California Avocado Commission President mark Affleck called the partnership a 'sign of things to come as our industry strives to be competitive in a now-crowded Hass avocado category.' "
The H&H operation will continue to be managed by its current team of veteran specialists, with Mr. House overseeing all aspects of the sourcing, field operations and packing operations, according to the press release. "There is probably no one with as much hands-on experience in the avocado industry today as Daren," said Mr. Circle. Pat House will continue to be responsible for grower payments at H&H. Danny House, who was in sales at H&H, is now on sales at Prime Produce and has been named "H&H" label sales manager.
Supplying avocados to the trade year-round requires "a strong element of California avocados" as one of the components of the program, said Avi Crane, president of Prime Produce. "We have worked in the past and we continue to work with Corona College Heights," an avocado packer in Riverside, CA, marketing that company's conventional avocados, he said. "However, with our expanding customer base, we realize that we needed an increasing supply of California fruit for our customers."
Mr. Crane told The Produce News that he and H&H President Daren House "have known each other for a long time." H&H, which was founded in 1941, is "a strong company" with "a lot of dedicated growers" in California, and the company is adept at growing and packing avocados, he said. But "with no import program, it was very hard for [Mr. House] to supply his customers year round. So that is where the marriage made sense."
Prime Produce, which markets avocados from Mexico, Chile and the Dominican Republic, and just recently announced that it had signed an exclusive marketing agreement with an avocado growers cooperative in Michoacan, Mexico, is able to meet customer needs all year long, he said.
"Our California avocado programs, along with solid relationships with other quality packers-exporters in Chile, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, gives us year- round avocados to supply our retail, wholesale and foodservice customers in the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe," Mr. Crane said. "The H&H volume will be a true complement" to the Corona College Heights program.
Mr. House also was excited about the new partnership. "As I looked at the competitive nature of the avocado business today, it was obvious that H&H needed to align itself with a partner that could provide avocados from sources outside California," he said. "I have known Avi for over 20 years, from the time he was at the California Avocado Commission in the mid 1980s. I can't think of a better person to assure our growers and customers that we will be there for them now and in the future."
"With the consolidating retail environment and the growth in the [avocado] category, it was a good fit for us and H& H," assuring that customers across the country can receive year-round supplies from various producing regions, said Doug Circle, director of business development for Prime Produce. "It is very important for us to be strong" in both California and imported product, he added.
Mr. Circle also said that Prime Produce will continue to pursue alliances with other avocado growers in California and around the world.
"Our objective is to continue to provide our expanding customer base in the U.S. with quality fresh avocados 365 days a year," he said. "Prime Produce now has a combined 400 years experience in the avocado business to get that job done. There are many companies that have entered the avocado deal since February of 2005, when Mexican Hass avocados were allowed into Texas and other states [not including California, Florida and Hawaii]. However, Prime Produce feels strongly that it is in the best interest of customers to align themselves with a superior supplier who will provide product on a year-round basis."
According to a Prime Produce press release, "long-time California Avocado Commission President mark Affleck called the partnership a 'sign of things to come as our industry strives to be competitive in a now-crowded Hass avocado category.' "
The H&H operation will continue to be managed by its current team of veteran specialists, with Mr. House overseeing all aspects of the sourcing, field operations and packing operations, according to the press release. "There is probably no one with as much hands-on experience in the avocado industry today as Daren," said Mr. Circle. Pat House will continue to be responsible for grower payments at H&H. Danny House, who was in sales at H&H, is now on sales at Prime Produce and has been named "H&H" label sales manager.
