Nogales, AZ – A born-&-bred McAllen native was the final choice to head the expanding operations of premier grower/shipper Farmer’s Best with the hire of Mario René Cardenas, 38, earlier this month
Cardenas was recently with RCF in McAllen, and has also worked for L&M and Coast Tropical. In total, he has over 12 years in the produce industry, which he joined after completing his studies at the University of Texas/Pan American.
Starting in warehouse operations, Mario soon proved to be an expert at Richard Ruiz’s brokerage, where he began to build solid relationships with buyers in the South and Eastern U.S.,
“Mario brings)strong experience in mango sales: exactly what we were looking for,” explains Farmer’s Best director of sales and marketing Jerry Wagner, “The fact that he is a native of McAllen and has many solid, local contacts and friendships only adds to his strength.”
Cardenas joins the grower/shipper group just as it is planning to launch its mango season, with shipments projected to begin February 15. “The start of the mango season looks very promising with the early Ataulfos progressing very well.” Cardenas explains, adding: “I’m very excited to be joining this team. Over the past few weeks of hands-on training I have seen why their customers rely on them so much. They are true pros.”
Farmer’s Best is a vertically-integrated agribusiness operation, shipping to the U.S. and Canada for over 40 years. They grow mainly cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, beans, squash, grapes, mangos, and watermelons, among other fruits and vegetables, distributing from warehouses in Nogales, AZ. and McAllen, Texas.
Source: Farmer’s Best