RIVERSIDE, CA - Avocados and football: They just go together! That became even clearer to me in my recent conversation with John Dmytriw, Vice President of Business Development at Index Fresh. With the Big Game just around the corner, John and I had a chance to talk all things avocados.

“Avocado consumption will be through the roof on the weekend of February 10. While the Big Game does command additional attention to detail, our approach is similar to how we service the needs of our clients throughout the year,” John told me. “We listen to our customers and address their individual needs, offering information and advice as a resource for them to use when making decisions. Most importantly, we take extreme pride in the quality we provide.”

As John explained, Index's grower relations, operations, logistics, account managers, marketing, and business development teams work in lockstep with one another, ensuring that its customers and their needs are covered.

He noted that particularly for the Super Bowl, sales, marketing, and produce department managers come together to impress shoppers with creativity in-store.

“The most impressive stores have multiple big displays that scream, ‘Come over here; I'm ripe and ready!’ With many avocado purchases happening the day of, or one to two days before the event, calling out ripe and ready avocados is a sure way to guarantee avocado foot traffic. Making it convenient for shoppers is also critical,” John added. “And having good supplies of fresh in-store guacamole is a must!”

John went on to discuss how avocados and football were a great pair even before the public became ultra-aware of the health benefits of eating avocados.

“Sports fans enjoy great-tasting dips and snacks in group settings,” he said. “In many homes, food and its preparation are an extension of the maker's love and care for those who will be enjoying it. Though fresh guacamole is hands down the most popular, avocados go great with just about anything or by themselves. For many game watchers, it was a head-scratcher seeing avocados advertised for the Big Game for the first time some years back. That was a genius move, and one the entire avocado industry has benefited from.”

On a final note, John told me that Index Fresh has recently completed a significant expansion to its ripening and value-added departments on the United States/Mexico border in Pharr, Texas.

“Ripe and ready avocados will continue to grow in popularity for years to come. By continuing to invest in our people, infrastructure, and services, Index Fresh is well-positioned to serve our clients and their growing needs as we have since 1914,” he concluded.

As we continue ramping up for the Super Bowl, keep clicking back to ANUK.