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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Mastronardi Produce Opens Operations Center in Laredo, Texas

12/09/2020
Mastronardi Produce, an industry-leading greenhouse pioneer that sells and markets fresh fruits and vegetables, opened a new 185,000-square-foot facility in Laredo, Texas.

The new facility, near the company’s current distribution center, will feature an upgraded, state of the art operating system for inventory tracking, customer fulfillment, receiving, shipping and tracing of produce from farms to consumers. It will include multi-temp cooling zones that will allow for storage of the company's newer commodities that require varied temperature control, such as berries and lettuce.

"Laredo has been a very important location for us for many years, but we've outgrown our old facility," says Paul Mastronardi, President and CEO of Mastronardi Produce. "With this new facility, we are significantly increasing our ability to efficiently service customers across the Southern region of the U.S. with the freshest, highest quality SUNSET produce."

The facility is strategically located near the World Trade Bridge where much of the nation's produce crosses from Mexico, making it ideal for efficient transportation. The facility employs many of the same staff from the former facility, but with the expanded space and demand, the company is looking to expand its workforce across multiple positions. .

"We are always looking to optimize our nationwide network of distribution centers and improve our operations. Today we operate 9 distribution centers totaling over one million square feet of cooled warehouse and distribution space and each operates in partnership with our customers to reduce food miles while increasing shelf life and in doing so, their profitability," says John Hemeon, COO at Mastronardi Produce. "The expanded omnichannel facility allows us to increase our own efficiencies and distribute a wider range of SUNSET branded fruits and vegetables with its multiple temperature zones. It also allows the company to better meet the increased customer demand and provide even greater value in the face of the changes in retail and foodservice brought on by the challenges of the pandemic and its aftermath."

"Mastronardi's continued commitment to the Laredo community is based on its partnership with the Laredo Economic Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce. Their continued support of private enterprise and growth in the area contributed to our decision to expand our presence in the area", says Chad Mead, CAO. "We'd like to especially thank the Laredo EDC and the City of Laredo for their support.”

A pioneer and industry leader in the gourmet greenhouse industry, Mastronardi Produce grows and markets nationally recognized products under the SUNSET® brand, including Campari®, Angel Sweet®, and Flavor Bombs® tomatoes.

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