Chicago-based Hazel Technologies Inc., a developer of new USDA-funded technologies to protect quality in the produce supply chain and fight food waste, and Homestead, FL-based A.R. Produce & Trucking Corp, a tropical and subtropical grower and importer of over 30 commodities, are pleased to report that outstanding quality and program growth continues for key tropical commodities including dragon fruit and tropical avocados.
A.R. Produce also has integrated Hazel Tech® products into their vegetable program, with added protection for its okra crop.
Retailers and growers alike can commiserate on the shelf-life challenges that come with stocking and shipping both tropical fruits and vegetables. Produce Managers excited to add interest and differentiation to the department often look for opportunities to add tropicals to their set. With the novelty sometimes comes challenges.
The USDA notes in their Shrink Estimates for Fresh Foods study, that tropicals are leaders in shrink with ranges hovering between 20 – 40%, okra being the highest shrink fresh vegetable sold at retail. Eager to find easy-to-use solutions that reduce shrink and deliver a premium quality experience to consumers, Hazel Tech and A.R. Produce have partnered to improve quality over the past three years and successfully changed the scorecard for these highly perishable categories.
“Major retailers rank our performance across several key categories with quality being a priority,” commented Frank Martinez, Owner of A.R Produce & Trucking Corp. “By investing in Hazel®’s technologies across our product line, we’ve been able to reduce quality claims by over 50% and improve our scores with key retailers. I’m proud that today A.R. Produce is no longer in the middle of the pack and now we’re a preferred category vendor through our commitment to innovation and optimum quality. Most importantly, having a reputation for top quality opens the door for more new business opportunities with existing customers.”
“Hazel Tech is looking to add value across the supply chain, we understand the pain points and are passionate about solving problems with shrink,” commented Tommy Caruana, Director of Retail Business Development at Hazel Technologies. “At Hazel we are focused on sales drivers like avocados and other tropical novelty commodities because we understand the importance of variety at retail and its impact on the global supply chain. That is why Hazel is intentional about creating solutions that are easy-to-use, affordable and accessible.”
