Malena Quality Produce Expansion Plans To Increase Product Offerings & Capacity
Nogales, AZ.: Malena Quality Produce has added to its management team and plans to launch national outreach awareness efforts to reinforce its commitment to customized customer programs. This will include strategic partnerships with growers in Mexico and the U.S., enhanced food safety programs and direct customer contacts at all levels.
According to Gonzalo Avila, recently appointed VP/General Manager of Malena's Nogales operations, the company will build on its eggplant category dominance, and social and environmental leadership to attract strategic grower partners, and retail and foodservices organizations that share the same core values. Mr. Avila has managed the company's greenhouse operations in the Mexico growing region of Culiacan, Sinaloa, where he introduced several innovative technical, food safety, social and environmental programs.
The outreach awareness programs include a new "more expansive" logo, where emphasis is placed on quality at all levels of the produce operation. Malena Quality Produce will begin a high profile trade advertising and promotion program, web site and relationship marketing efforts during PMA's Fresh Summit 2002 in New Orleans. The company has developed a comprehensive food safety project with Scientific Certification Systems, and has expanded personnel training on the integrity and importance of the cold chain.
As the best known and largest eggplant grower/shipper in North America, Malena Quality Produce has plans to increase customer service and "decisively respond" to customer needs. "To meet our 2003 goal of increasing sales by 20 percent we will expand our production capacity and hear directly from customers about their operations to ensure that we are considered among their best preferred suppliers," Mr. Avila said. "We have identified prospective partners in Mexico and the U.S. that will enable us to provide year round availability and more diversity in our product line."
"We are adding growers to the Malena family of 'partner' farming operations and we intend to create an ongoing dialogue with large retail and foodservice customers to fulfill a wider range of produce needs…on time and with products of the highest quality," he said.
Malena management is in discussions with grower partners in the U.S. who want to work with an established organization in Mexico that embraces social and environmental practices that are compatible with their own. "We are working hard to offer the highest quality products and we seek organizations in the U.S. that want a mutually beneficial relationship with us," Mr. Avila said.
Malena Quality Produce has been growing and shipping produce from Mexico since 1953. The company is privately owned and maintains five modern packing plants in Northwest Mexico where growing conditions are ideal for winter vegetables. The company is committed to strict quality assurances, fair labor practices (healthcare/ daycare/ housing) independent food safety certification programs (Scientific Certifications Services/ NutriClean) and attracting strategic partners in Mexico and the U.S. who share the same core values.
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