September 12, 2022

Mission Produce and NatureSweet Tomatoes partner on logistics

Mission Produce Inc., which provides sourcing, producing and distributing of fresh Hass avocados with additional offerings in mangos, and NatureSweet Tomatoes are partnering on long-term third-party logistics.

The move is anticipated to support the expansion of NatureSweet’s greenhouse portfolio, which includes snacking tomatoes, medium/large tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

In the partnership, Mission will provide NatureSweet with cold storage, cross docking, repacking, inventory management, access to quality inspections and other services. NatureSweet plans to consolidate about 70% of its total product volume coming from Mexico in Mission’s Laredo, Texas, center and distribute to U.S. customers located throughout the Southwest, Midwest and East of the Mississippi.

“Given the size and scale of our business, Mission is uniquely positioned to offer 3PL services that streamline operations and create logistical efficiencies for complementary products,” said Ben Barnard, vice president of Business Operations at Mission. “We designed our Laredo mega center to serve as a major hub for U.S. avocado imports, and we are leveraging the facility’s size and advanced technology to drive volume and generate additional revenue through synergistic partnerships with produce importers. While enabling those partners to benefit from economies of scale, this business model also allows us to maximize utilization of the facility, especially in times of lower avocado supply. We are confident in our ability to support NatureSweet’s delivery and distribution needs and we look forward to partnering with them for many years to come.”

The partnership is Mission’s largest 3PL agreement to date and expands on the company’s existing logistics partnerships across its other FDCs in New Jersey, California and Calgary.





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