Riverside, C.A. — Since its opening on January 9, 2018, the Index Fresh facility in Pharr, TX, has seen steady progress and is rounding out support for the company’s operations across the United States. The leading avocado marketer broke ground on this 60,000 sq. ft. ripening, packing and distribution center just over a year ago in June.
“The bagging and repacking in the facility have increased in the last few months. Our ripening process has been successfully implemented meeting our customer’s needs and expectations,” said Manrique Palacios, Distribution Center Manager of Index Fresh in Pharr.
“What I am most excited about since operations started is — my team. It’s a high-performance team that is experienced and self-motivated, and they are doing an excellent job,” he added.
The Pharr facility has allowed the company to be more efficient in its operations, complementing other Index Fresh facilities. “Our Texas facility is strategically located to better serve our customers with the increase in supply chain capabilities,” said Santiago Pacheco, VP of Operations at Index Fresh. With its proximity to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, the facility has been a great point of contact for Index Fresh expanding its Mexican program this year.
“Mexico is a year-round source and we bring all of our Mexican products through Pharr. It’s an integral part of our operation. We use it for staging, for shipping loads into the Midwest, Northeast, and the West. It’s working really well. We’ve got a great crew down there and we’re pleased,” said Dana Thomas, President and CEO of Index Fresh.
Index Fresh is the first occupant in the Pharr Produce Park, a big step for Pharr’s economic development as construction of other facilities continue at the Produce Park.
The Index Fresh facility is equipped with 2600 pallet positions, 10 ripening rooms, and three bagging machines. “We are expecting our second Mexican season and complete our first year of operations. We are performing an analysis to
enhance our bagging capacity for the next season and working on business development to expand our ripening volume in Texas and the Midwest,” said Palacios. “We are also open to offering 3PL services that include storage, ripening, bagging, and distribution to potential customers.”
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ABOUT INDEX FRESH
Index Fresh is a worldwide marketer of avocados, sourcing from all major growing regions around the globe, including California, Mexico, Peru, and Chile. Through its dedication to quality, consistency, and innovation, Index Fresh continues to be a leader in the industry. Over the years the company has earned its reputation for quality and integrity with an unwavering commitment to honesty, hard work, and providing outstanding results to their partners — growers and trade alike.
Headquartered in California, the company has facilities spread across Texas, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio, Colorado, and Illinois. Early this year, Index Fresh also started operations at its new packing, bagging, and ripening facility in Pharr, TX.
Source: Index Fresh