Oxnard-based Mission Produce today announced that it has completed construction on its first Ripe Center in Europe. The Center, based in Breda, The Netherlands, is strategically-located near the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp—the primary ports for importing avocados into the European market.
Mission has operated a distribution center in Breda since 2012, but recently expanded the facility to include four, three-tiered ripening rooms with the capacity for 36 pallets each; 144 total. The facility is in the Mooy Logistics terminal in Breda.
According to Ine Potting, Managing Director of Mission Produce Europe BV, the addition of the ripening capacity signals the company’s expected growth in the European market. Potting said, “We have been providing fruit to the European market for over 5 years, both through direct customer imports, as well as through our facility in Breda. By adding ripening capacity, we can offer more value-added services to our customer base here.”
Brent Scattini, Mission’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, indicated that the move in Europe will help the company grow globally. “We provide fruit in Europe from three primary countries of origin – Peru, Mexico and Chile – and our new Ripe Center stages us for expansion regardless of seasonality and origin. Adding the Ripe Center allow us to service our customer’s needs by providing ripe fruit in consistent volume throughout the year.”
Mission’s President & CEO, Steve Barnard, added: “The European market is developing rapidly in terms of overall avocado consumption, and is actually growing at a faster rate than North America. Our expectation is that this growth will continue, and the ability to provide ripe fruit to our customer base will position Mission to capitalize on that growth. Mission has long been the leader in ripening in North America. We will be able to extend our deep understanding of the ripening process and technology and provide the same level of service in Europe.”
The ripening rooms were constructed under the supervision of Mission’s engineering team, using energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly technology. Each room features three-tier racking systems, which are the first of their kind in Europe. The extended height of the rooms increases capacity and efficiency, including energy savings of 15% over standard systems. The design of the installation and the chosen components meet the demands of the EIA 2015.
For more information:
Robb Bertels
Mission Produce, Inc.
Tel: 805-981-3650