Divine Flavor touts core vegetable operations

For Nogales, Ariz.-based Divine Flavor, nothing says fresh more than a bell pepper, tomato or cucumber from Sinaloa, in Mexico’s Culiacan region. The winter and early spring months is when the company’s vegetable program thrives, producing such products as organic-colored bell peppers, tomatoes, and English and Persian cucumbers, according to a news release.

Sinaloa has become a solid growing location for Divine Flavor’s hothouse commodities, according to the release.

“Our partners in Sinaloa are expert growers and they share the same values our own farms have across Mexico,” Carlos Bon, vice president of sales at Divine Flavor, said in the release. “Those relationships are a big part of our growth as a company.”

With new grower relationships, the company expects more volume this year.

“Western Mexico is growing strong. Good supplies are coming on. Last year, we started growing summer bell peppers in Central Mexico. We’ll be producing more volume this year. We’ve also expanded in Baja the last several years,” said Michael Dupuis, quality assurance and public relations coordinator at Divine Flavor.

Divine Flavor’s growth is not just from planting more hectares. The company specializes in the products it has on hand. The company doesn’t grow to have more product, but to invest in infrastructure and technology, improving processes at all stages of production and constantly planning ahead, Bon said.

“We want to deliver year-round to our key customers. We strategically plan with them. They are looking for consistency,” Dupuis said.

The company has grown in many areas besides more land acquisition.

Divine Flavor also imports table grapes from Mexico, Peru and Chile. Dupuis said it has unique varieties, such as cotton candy, gummyberries and jellyberries. Over 50% of its produce is also organically grown, he said.

“We have emerged as a big pepper player,” Dupuis said.

Divine Flavor’s largest bell pepper farm, Hortifresh, is located just outside the city of Culiacan in a small town called Navolato. With more than 15 years of working with Divine Flavor, Hortifresh has emerged as the largest bell pepper supplier for the company, according to the release.

Ernesto Urtusastegui, owner and CEO of Hortifresh, said trust and continuous improvement are two core areas which bond the farmer and brand together so well.

“We have a common goal of supplying quality product with added value to the customers and markets,” Urtusastegui said in the release.

Aside from Divine Flavor’s principal bell pepper grower, Hortifresh, the company also has close working relations with Grupo Agricola Chaparral & Tombell, another large shipper of peppers. Grupo Agricola is also a big shipper of hothouse tomatoes, according to the release

“Hortifresh and Grupo Agricola Chaparral & Tombell are very much an extension of our Divine Flavor family,” Bon said in the release.

Divine Flavor is also committed to other work outside of the day-to-day operations of growing and shipping vegetables.

“Divine Flavor is a big supporter of Fair Trade. We have generated more than $6.5 million in Fair Trade premium since 2013,” DuPuis said.