CHARLOTTE, NC - Dole Food Company is strengthening its supply chain prowess, announcing the launch of a new weekly vessel service that will serve the Northeast United States.

“Dole is excited to expand our service level into the Northeast, bringing even more fresh tropical fruit to market,” stated Nelson Montoya, President of Dole Fresh Fruit North America. “Both existing and future Dole customers can be equally excited at this growth in our service as we continue our journey to make the world a healthier place.”

The expanded service will increase the capacity of tropical fresh fruits, including Dole® branded bananas, pineapples, dragon fruit, mangos, and limes coming to the U.S. from Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala into the Port of Wilmington, Delaware, a press release noted.

The newly expanded service will deploy two 1,200 FEU container vessels, MV Robin-2, and MV Robin-5 in a 14-day rotation. One of these vessels will be making weekly ports of call in Santa Marta, Colombia; Puerto Castilla, Honduras; and a new port of service in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, before landing in Wilmington each Saturday.

The addition of these two vessels will allow for optimum freshness of the fruit through increased sourcing options, discharges, and port rationalization, while also contributing to the increased fuel efficiency of Dole’s service derived from slow-speed operation.

Dole Ocean Cargo Express—the supplier’s commercial marine transportation service—is also utilizing these vessels with the introduction of the Mayan Express Service between the Northeast United States and Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador; the new service will expand its ocean network coverage by providing an additional alternative to North Central America to and from the Port of Wilmington.

All other existing Dole shipping services will be unchanged, the release noted.

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