USA – Mucci Farms, an Ontario-based fresh producer, has announced an investment in two new US based facilities in Romulus, Michigan and San Antonio, Texas to increase efficiencies and service more regions and support its rapid expansion efforts.
“We’re very excited about these two new locations because they will improve our ability to service retailers and consumers in the US,” said Gianni Mucci, Vice President of Operations.
“Not only will we be able to service a larger area of the United States, we will significantly reduce our carbon footprint and food mileage which will serve retailers and consumers with high quality fruits and vegetables with an emphasis on environmental responsibility.”
As with all Mucci Farms new builds and expansions, the company said that both facilities will be equipped with state-of-the-art automation and technology, and serve as cross docks to maximize efficiency.
The Romulus, Michigan warehouse will occupy a 66,300 square feet footprint, which the company intends to primarily service the Midwest and Northeast United States.
“This location will help us pack, repack and distribute our full lineup to the region in a timely manner,” Gianni explains. “Romulus is a great location for us as it allows us to avoid wait times at the border and quickly redirect product to several states.”
The Texas warehouse will cover a 54,000 square foot space. Mucci Farms said that facility is strategically located to serve as a cross dock primarily during the winter months.
According to the fresh produce firm, San Antonio is a central location that will help the company service southern states in the US and addresses an industry wide labour challenge.
“The San Antonio area has a population of 2.5 million people and the labour market is particularly experienced in produce,” said Ronnie Alvar, Director of Operations.
“This helps us onboard a knowledgeable team of people that understand the nuances of the produce industry and can efficiently manage the supply chain.”
Additionally, the company noted that the facility is equipped with a unique feature in the loading docks. “With hot temperatures in Texas, our dock allows trucks to back into the warehouse in a manner that doesn’t break the cold chain,” Ronnie explains.
“The doors actually open up right inside our pre-cooled loading dock, so we are able to preserve product quality as there is no temperature fluctuation transferring product from the truck to the warehouse.”
With a large focus on US expansion, the investment will also support Mucci Farms first US project in Huron, Ohio, a 75-acre greenhouse/warehouse operation.
Being built in 3 x 25-acre phases, the first phase has been harvesting and servicing retailers since 2018 and phase 2 is currently under construction with a goal to harvest its first crop this fall.
Mucci Farms says that the entire project is equipped with supplemental grow lights allowing for local production of all-year round.
In August 2019, Mucci Farms acquired controlling interest of Leamington, Ontario based Orangeline Farms, including its existing greenhouse and warehouse facilities, and additional land with plans for expansion.
The company owns and operates over 250-acres of greenhouse farms with a partner-grower network of 1500 acres across Canada United States and North America.
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