Mission Produce has opened Canada’s first avocado ripening centre in Toronto, Ontario, bringing to eight the number of facilities operated by the company in North America.
Mission has strategically built state-of-the-art avocado ripening facilities in major US cities, including Oxnard, Denver, Dallas, New Jersey, Chicago, Atlanta and Seattle, according to company president, Steve Barnard.
“Toronto represents our first ripening centre established outside the US and increases our continental distribution network where avocados are received, inventoried, ripened and delivered to customer distribution centres,” Mr Barnard said in the release. “We can deliver on demand within 24 hours, anywhere in the US and Canada.”
Mission said the space for the facility is being leased from Ippolito Group, which will handle the Canadian distribution of product.
The Toronto centre will house similar high-tech equipment and ripening rooms found in Mission’s other facilities. Mission will staff its own personnel to run the operation which will service all of eastern Canada.
“None of our competitors can compare to the size and efficiency of our distribution network,” added Mr Barnard. “The seven ripening centres in the US have grown sales of ripe fruit exponentially.”
“We now have the opportunity to offer customers in Canada the same ripe product and customer service that has been so successful in the US,” added Mission’s sales vice-president Ross Wileman.
“These regional, high-tech facilities ripen fruit, maximise just-in-time delivery, reduce customer inventory management and enhance transportation efficiency. Mission customers are ensured a consistent flow of fresh products on an as needed basis.”
