California-based hass avocado producer and distributor Mission Produce Inc. plans to expand its distribution center in Dartford, England, which it says would double ripening capacity and establish mango operations.
Those plans include the addition of 50% more Mission Control ripening rooms, a mango-specific operations area and additional cold storage and warehouse space, according to a news release. The new development is expected to be completed in spring 2024, the company said.
“We’ve been growing our business in the U.K. by delivering on our commitment to be the go-to supplier of high-quality, ripe avocados — so with our facility expansion, we’re getting ready to grow even more and unlock the potential for mangos in the market,” Paul Frowde, managing director of Mission Produce Europe and U.K., said in the release. “We’re leveraging the capabilities of our global network and vertical integration to bring our customers the convenience of partnering with one supplier to expertly ripen both commodities, driven by our operational excellence.”
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Mission Produce is continuing its partnership with Cross Group to advance the facility with a specialized mango sorting and packing line, additional warehouse and cold storage capacity, and more ripe rooms featuring Mission Control, the company’s exclusive atmosphere-control ripening process, according to the release. Mission Control is an innovation that was developed in partnership with Cross Group and is proven to accelerate avocado ripening and improve product uniformity, according to testing results from Mission Produce and the University of Greenwich’s Natural Resources Institute.
“Consistent quality is key to promoting a positive consumer experience with mangos, so we’re leaning on our mastery in the art of ripening and industry-leading technology to create that reliability,” Mission Produce U.K.’s Senior Commercial Manager Michael O’Sullivan said in the release. “In the U.K. market, there is plenty of opportunity to drive demand for mangos. I believe that we’re well-positioned with a world-class supply chain to become the highest-quality product on the shelf.”
