"Our new avocado ripening facility is the best way to control quality"

GreenFruit Avocados, a year-round grower, packer, shipper and marketer of Mexican avocados, has opened up a brand new ripening facility in California. After acquiring the empty building last year, the company renovated it and fitted it out with new ripening technology. The facility officially opened in January.

"The building was a shell when we acquired it last year," said Dan Acevedo of GreenFruit Avocados. "We designed it to be effective and efficient and installed all new equipment to meet that standard. After extensive training of staff, we opened up the ripening facility in January of this year in a partnership with our sister company, Fruitripe Services, that provides our cold storage and ripening services."

With demand for avocados rising, GreenFruit saw a need for a larger, better positioned ripening facility in order to accommodate that demand. The company has a plan in place to expand nationally, and with the building of this new facility, along with establishing partnerships in other parts of the United States, the company said it is on track to meet their future growth plans.

"GreenFruit saw a need for our customer base in the Southwest," Acevedo said. "This is just the first of many phases in our development to expand nationally. Currently, we are geographically well situated on the West Coast, and we have partnerships in place with centers in South Texas, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia."

The ripening facility was built with future growth in mind, as the company has allowed for expansion. One of the primary goals is to provide consistency in the level of ripeness of the avocados, as this is one of the key requirements for the customer base. 

"In the first stage, we can move through 25 loads a week and we are positioned to expand on that," Acevedo shared. "We installed the latest and most advanced technology into the new facility. Avocados are a very dense fruit and they require high pressure cooling to bring them to the optimal temperatures that meet the specifications of the fruit, extending the shelf life and delivering consistency for the customer. For retailers as well as foodservice, they're looking for consistency and with the technology we've put in place, we are able to deliver on that."

But it's not just technology that's important. Acevedo added that having an experienced ripener is extremely important to achieve that consistency the retailers are looking for. "We also have a ripener with 22 years of experience," he said. "There are very different and distinct blooms in Mexico, as well as fruit coming in from different elevations. They each have different physical properties that only an experienced ripener will know how to identify and subsequently treat. It's not just a matter of pushing the button, it's really an artisanal craft."

The need for a new and larger ripening facility is seen as a result of the continued rise in demand for avocados. As more people purchase them, such facilities will be needed even more. And it's not just a matter of increased demand, but also consumers wanting fruit at the optimal ripeness.

"Avocado is becoming a mainstream item for shoppers," Acevedo explained. "And more so, consumers are looking for a perfectly ripe avocado that they can eat soon after purchasing it at the store. Retailers used to be hesitant to carry ripe and ready fruit but now this is exactly what they're asking for. We're seeing a notable increase in demand, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest regions, because these consumers are now able to enjoy ripe and ready avocados."

Acevedo expressed that GreenFruit Avocados takes pride in taking charge of the entire avocado chain, as a grower through to the cold storage. He said this is the best way to have control in the quality you can deliver to the customer. He also acknowledged the passion and dedication of the team that helps to make new facilities such as the ripening facility a successful one.

"We can really control the whole process from seed to shelf," he said. "Our passion is avocados and we have a passionate group of people whose goal and commitment it is to deliver quality and consistency whilst utilizing advanced technology."

For more information:

Dan Acevedo

Tel: +1 (949) 251-0963