Mission Produce, Oxnard, California, announced the completion of its new, multi-million dollar, Forward Distribution and Ripening Center in Swedesboro, New Jersey. Mission, a global avocado packer-shipper, has operations in Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.
Mission VP of Distribution & Logistics, Jeremy Currier said, "The New Jersey Forward Distribution and Ripening Center has all of the newest fruit handling technology, energy efficient systems and operational efficiencies making it one of the most modern FDC's in the country."
The new location has over 100,000 square feet of operational space. This includes 360 ripe pallet spaces with room to add extra spaces when necessary, 4,500 cooler pallet spaces and 23 insulated dock doors.
Currier said, "The purpose of the move to the new facility is all about growth, operational expansion and projected sales increases. New Jersey is our primary location for receiving fruit from Peru. During the Peruvian season, which runs from May to September, we anticipate 25 containers per day which equates to over 200 loads per week."
Consumption of avocados in the northeast has grown faster in the past few years than any other region in the U.S. Currier added, "We simply outgrew our old New Jersey facility very quickly. With the anticipation of large supplies coming out of Peru, the new center will give us plenty of room to accommodate the volume."
Mission also has plans for utilizing some of the extra space as a commercial cooling facility. Currier said, "We will have the room to do bagging, repacks, fumigation, forced air cooling, etc, for other companies and commodities. We really needed a state-of-the-art facility that's properly sized and staffed to adequately manage our current and future business as well as the incoming Peruvian volume during their season."
Source: Mission Produce
