Nexus Produce Inc. is a vertically integrated Chilean-American company based in Miami. The company packs, exports and imports a wide variety of fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, apples, pears and grapes from Chile and the US; however, the company is well known for its fresh blueberries.
Julio Ortúzar, president of Nexus Produce Inc., and Robert Bopp, CEO of Nexus Produce Chile, spoke about the company's bulk program, the benefits of packaging on arrival, and the company's direct harvesting scheme.
Avoiding unnecessary risks and costs
For several years, Nexus has had a program, with which it covers the entire central and eastern part of U.S., in which it exports blueberries in bulk from Chile to the U.S. and then packages the fruit in Miami, on arrival. The packages are tailored to what the market demands.
"That was one of the problems I saw mainly in U.S. We would always arrive with a format and the customers were demanding a different one. Could never make optimal sales management," said Julio Ortúzar.
"Several years ago, when we started this project, we were doing everything to add value to the supply chain and reduce the risk, because we had heard the main problem of a perishable product was its risk," said Ortúzar.
"So we asked ourselves what the best way to add value and reduce risk was. The only answer we saw, regarding blueberries, as well as cherries as they faced a similar situation, was packing on arrival."
According to Ortúzar, this brought many benefits for the customers.
"We offer directly to supermarket chains in the US. We have no middlemen, the customers saw that we were delivering a fresher product; that we were packing it and delivering in one or two days.
"There was a niche that was not being exploited. There are supermarket chains like Sam 's Club and Costco that made great packaging, but there were many other brands that were interested in developing programs for special packaging, but there was no continuity of the packaging supply.
"Our focus is to address these supermarket chains that need a continuous supply of certain packing," stressed Ortúzar, who said that Nexus U.S. imports and distributes berries from around the world; from places such as Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay.
There is no risk involved in Nexus Produce and virtually all that they package has already been ordered. "What would happen if I pack in origin and once that product arrives to its destination the customer tells me that there is little demand, and he no longer needs the fruit? I would have to keep the fruit because I would be able to sell anywhere, " said Ortúzar.
Source: Fresh Fruit Portal
