WATSONVILLE, CA - This year has been one of expansion for California Giant Berry Farms, not only through the growth of its staff, but also through the expansion of both its raspberry and 4-berry programs. The main goal of these program expansions is to maintain consistency of quality, production, and consumer messaging throughout the supply chain. Raspberries will now be produced year-round due to evolving programs in Mexico for winter crops.
Nick Chappell, Director of Retail Sales, commented in a recent press release that expansion of the program had been pivotal for the company. “Our raspberry operations in Mexico are both advanced and progressive, and ultimately, the gap we once had in the winter months where our raspberry supply had fallen short has now been filled.” He continued, “We look forward to offering year-round availability of all four berries and offering a smooth transition from our Mexico season all the way through the start of our California season.”
In addition to the increase to the amount of berries supplied, California Giant has also recently launched their docking collaboration with Mann Packing in Yuma, Arizona. Tom Smith, the Director of Foodservice claims that this collaboration will provide consumers with a “one-stop-shop.”
He elaborates that the docking is “resulting in a much more efficient consolidation process. Customers can reduce the number of stops on their trucks, therefore reducing time on the road and adding shelf life to the berries when they arrive to the consumer. We plan to return to the Salinas Valley in spring 2019 to further this partnership as we continue to service our customers.”
This willingness to collaborate with partners to jointly ship vegetable orders through the desert showcases an exploration of freight-forwarding opportunities that will continue to be a trend in the future. AndNowUKnow will continue to report on California Giant’s expansion programs and future freight-forwarding implementation.
