OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce is in the midst of a major expansion of its Oxnard facilities, headlined by the construction of a state-of-the-art packing line. The new packing line promises to double Mission's production capacity, while cutting both costs and labor requirements, and is a major component of the company's plans to grow its bustling global avocado operations.
“The master plan for this project is the construction of a fully automated facility to complement our growing operations,” Jake Nixon, Vice President of Engineering and Process Improvement, shared with me. “Overall, the new facility will increase our storage capacity sixfold and triple the number of loading docks we have access to. The packing line itself is state of the art technology, which will allow us to greatly expand our production capacity while keeping costs down.”
Once completed, the packing line will be able to process 48 tons of produce an hour. It will be complete with modern dumping system which leads into a 10 lane sizer. The sizer will be equipped with a camera system capable of detecting external defects and examining avocados by size and shape. It is also able to pack produce based on weight and promises Mission Produce enhanced accuracy and speed.
“Mission has been a great partner for us throughout this process,” said Joe Chapon, Sales Manager for MAF Industries, the company contracted by Mission to construct this new packing line. “I am very confident that when this project is finished, it will be a great asset to Mission Produce for years to come.”
One of the highlights of constructing the packing line at this time, is that it afforded Mission the opportunity to build it from scratch, on-site.
“It's rare to have the opportunity to be able to build a new packing line in house, but doing so gives Mission an incredible advantage,” Jake explained. “It allows us to have our personnel there on the ground floor throughout the construction process. When our facility is up and running, our mechanics will have already had months of experience working on the packing line, giving them invaluable experience and on-the-job training. This experience will translate into cost-savings for our company for years to come.”
Mission Produce is also focused on making its new facility an industry leader in sustainable energy and food safety. It will be complete with a solar energy system which will provide the facility with a megawatt of clean solar energy.
The first phase of the packing line is currently set to be completed in February 2015. The full project will consist of three phases, each bringing Mission new capabilities and assets to grow its business and provide its partners with the best quality avocados.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any future updates on Mission Produce and its current expansion plans.
