Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco— GLC Cerritos LLC (Cerritos), Jalisco’s largest avocado grower-shipper, announces Giovanni Cavaletto as president of its U.S. division. Establishing the U.S. division and hiring Cavaletto is part of a strategic initiative to enhance service, communication and alignment with its U.S. customer base. Cerritos is a diversified farming operation with over 2900 acres of avocados in the state of Jalisco. Winners of the Jalisco Avocado Grower Association’s (Apeajal) “Sustainable Avocado Grower of the Year” award, Cerritos farms have both Global Gap and Rainforest Alliance certifications.
Cavaletto joins Cerritos as an industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience. Most recently he was the Commercial Director of the Agricultural Supply Chain at The Morning Star Packing Company in Woodland, California. More notably he was the COO and VP of Sourcing at Index Fresh, Inc. His deep roots in the avocado industry go back to predate the boom of guacamole and avocado toast. He was a founding member of the Hass Avocado Board, the Mexican Hass Importers’ Association, and the Colombian Avocado Board, spearheading growth as the industry grew from $300 million to today’s $3 billion industry.
“At Cerritos we believe leadership is the ability to transform vision into reality, and Giovanni is a steward of this value,” said Saul Medina, President of Grupo Aguacatero Los Cerritos. “Giovanni has been a pillar and leader in the avocado industry through its various growth stages in the U.S., which makes him primed to be president of GLC Cerritos, LLC in the United States,” added Medina. Cavaletto will lead a team to strengthen relationships and operations with importer partners and customers. A focus on growth is important as 1/3 of the company’s acreage is yet to reach full production. “With strong yields from our intensive farming practices, the right team will be key to continue to deliver on our value of excellence,” continued Medina.
“Joining Cerritos at this time in my career just made sense,” said Cavaletto. “I have a strong passion for the avocado industry. GLC is a sophisticated operation that offers vertical integration and a commitment to food safety, as evidenced by its Global Gap-certified groves. Their work with The Rainforest Alliance certification demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that goes above and beyond industry standards. A focus on productivity and continuous improvement in all aspects of the company ensure that Cerritos will continue to drive efficiencies in today’s competitive environment,” added Cavaletto.
GLC Cerritos, LLC will be at the Foodservice Conference this week in Monterey with Giovanni and the team at booth 1000.
About the Company:
GLC Cerritos is a premium sustainable grower, packer, and shipper of fresh Hass avocados from the Jalisco region of Mexico. GLC Cerritos is rooted in excellence, respect, loyalty, and sustainability to supply fresh avocados year-round. This vertically integrated establishment has 2,900 acres and a state-of-the-art packhouse in Guzman, Mexico, servicing customers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Panama, South America, and the Middle East.
