Vancouver, B.C. — The Oppenheimer Group’s avocado program has taken new a step in the ripe direction.
As its volumes of the popular fruit have increased significantly in the last few years, the leading produce marketer and distributer has launched an avocado ripening service to better accommodate Eastern U.S. and Eastern Canadian customers. This service complements the ripening protocols Oppenheimer implemented for its western customers in 2010.
The company’s east-bound avocado ripening program will be managed at its regional distribution center, Manfredi Cold Storage of Kennett Square, Pa. A wide range of Oppenheimer products have been stored and shipped from this location since 1987. The facility offers eight 24-pallet chambers, with a capacity of approximately 384 pallets per week.
“Our year-round avocado program is still quite young, but it has reached the point where pre-conditioned offerings are necessary to take it to the next level,” said James Milne, Oppenheimer’s avocado category director.
Oppenheimer began marketing hass avocados from Mexican producer Mevi two years ago, giving the company a 12-month program for the first time.
“We could not have chosen a better avocado grower-partner,” Milne said. “Mevi’s quality is tremendous, and because the grower responds quickly to the market’s demands through flexible packaging, application of GS1 bar codes, and promotional strategies, we have built a strong program together in a very short amount of time.”
In addition to Mevi avocados, Oppenheimer markets fruit from a small group of select growers that it has worked with on other items over the years, including a couple of top-performing producers in Peru and Chile which were added to bolster summer programs.
“Avocados continue to be a very exciting category at retail,” Milne said, citing Fresh Look Data indicating that avocados’ dollar contribution to the produce department grew by nearly 5 percent in 2011. “We are now in a position to build more comprehensive programs with more of our customers. By bringing the high quality fruit grown by Mevi into Oppenheimer’s efficient supply chain and ripening it per the customer’s specifications before delivery, we can add value and create a higher level of satisfaction with this product than ever before.”
Source: The Oppenheimer Group
