NOGALES, AZ - The Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Innovations is fast approaching, and the timing couldn’t be better for IPR Fresh and its upcoming Mexico hothouse season.
With year-round hothouse programs that keep the company supplying a full line of colored hothouse bell peppers and cucumbers, Mark Munger, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, took some time to tell me about what the company has in store for attendees and beyond.
“We are excited about the opportunities ahead as we enter the fall Mexico season. One of our key priorities is expanding our direct relationships with retail and foodservice customers. We have built a strong business over nearly 24 years, and we are now placing greater emphasis on developing new partnerships and introducing more customers to the breadth of products, capabilities, and expertise that IPR Fresh brings to the market,” Mark says.
A major focus for the team has been strengthening year-round availability, a process that the company has been working closely with grower partners to accomplish, adjusting farm plans to shift production in several growing regions into the summer months.
“We’re also bringing new growers into our program to expand summer production and create greater consistency across the full year. For our customers, the goal is simple: provide dependable supply and quality regardless of the season,” Mark shares.
Significant investments in production, logistics, and year-round supply capabilities are starting to bear fruit, and now the team is looking to build new partnerships with retailers and foodservice customers who share that commitment to quality and consistency.
“This fall we have also added a new shipping point in McAllen, Texas, giving us a great advantage in efficiently serving customers throughout the central and eastern United States. At the same time, we continue to expand production across our growing regions, including our organic hothouse bell pepper program,” Mark explains. “All these initiatives are part of a larger strategy to build a stronger, more consistent supply platform and give our retail and food service customers more reasons to partner with IPR Fresh. We’re excited about where the business is headed and, perhaps most importantly, about the opportunity to share that growth with our customers.”
Finally, when it comes to the networking opportunities Southern Innovations offers, Mark tells me that the team sees the event as an important opportunity to say hello to old friends and introduce IPR Fresh to new retail and foodservice customers.
“While we have been in business for nearly 24 years, we are putting a greater focus on developing direct relationships with retail and foodservice partners. We’re excited to share what makes our programs different—from our strong grower relationships and product quality to our ability to provide consistent, year-round hothouse supply.”
Leading with the belief that there is significant opportunity to build new partnerships with customers seeking a reliable supplier with an understanding of both product and the demands of the marketplace, IPR Fresh will be ready to connect at booth #149 on September 11 in Nashville, Tennessee.
