SunFed gaining more volume and availability

Nogales, Calif.-based SunFed is a distributor of Mexican grown produce and has been in operation since 1994. The company currently works with over 20 different ranches located throughout Mexico with shipping points in Nogales, Ariz., Pharr, Texas, and Otay Mesa, Calif.

This year, the company looks to be up 5%-7% in volume over last year with increases in their organics, green beans, habanero peppers and green bell peppers, said Frank Camera, SunFed’s vice president of operations.

“We sell organic zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers, which are our staples,” Camera said. “We will see volume growth in both eggplant and green bell peppers. And we are in the final stages of putting together a year-round program.”

Two items that have done well for SunFed over the past year are cucumbers and green bell peppers. Cucumbers hold the company’s biggest retail penetration. Green bell peppers have also gained retail penetration, even though they are a light volume item for the company, Camera said.

“Over the next five years, we want to keep expanding our customer base. On the growing side, we are going to be year-round. Also, we will be looking at automation options to offset the labor shortages,” Camera said. “I am optimistic about the future because of the people we have in place and the way employees have worked with SunFed’s best interest in mind.”