Misionero's Joe Merenda Discusses Portfolio and Operational Expansion Prior to Organic Produce Summit
MONTEREY, CA - In just a day, I’ll be making my way to the Organic Produce Summit (OPS), and my excitement for the event grows with every company I interview. This is particularly true of Misionero as it rolls out plans to expand its network and portfolio.
I spoke with Joe Merenda, President of Misionero, to learn more about the grower’s main focus going into the show.
“We’ve recently expanded our footprint with a new facility in Baltimore, Maryland,” Joe began. “This full-scale processing facility was established with our customers in mind as we’ve dedicated specific capacity for organic and conventional tender leaf salads.”
This comes on the heels of Misionero’s 2021 partnership with Grupo Altex, a move that allowed the company to offer complete product lines of hydroponic lettuces, cauliflower, broccoli, and salad kits.
“This operation is the largest hydroponic lettuce and leafy-green producer in North America and the only fully integrated process of its kind in Mexico. We’re looking forward to another great year with Grupo Altex and providing our customers with this unique and top-of-the-line product,” Joe noted.
At Organic Produce Summit, Misionero will be showcasing several of these products, including its Organic Washed & Trimmed Romaine and Green Leaf Lettuces, which are packaged in Peel and Reseal packaging and offer ready-to-use versatility.
Joe added that showing off its products, people, and heart is what makes attending OPS so valuable.
“Misionero was founded 48 years ago with the belief that there was a place in the Salinas Valley for a produce company to succeed if it treated its people with respect and balanced the choice between growth and quality,” he explained. “We’ve come a long way in the last five years since our management group, The Harbinger Group, acquired Misionero. We’ve remained committed to innovation and best-in-class service for our customers while staying focused on our core values by earning Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) certification for more than four years. In the last year, we’ve expanded our partnership with EFI with two new pilot programs—Produce and Reduce, which is a Zero Waste initiative, as well as a Process Improvement and Upskilling Program focused on workforce development for better business solutions.”
To learn more about Misionero, be sure to stop by booth #914!
