Oppy Announces New Avocado Partnership to Offer Smoother Supply From Mexico; Rodrigo Lopez, Mark Smith, Pedro Somarriba, and Steve Taft Discuss
TEMECULA, CA - With consumers looking to find the beauty in Mother Nature and in their carts, Oppy is here to bring some fresh news; the purveyor recently added AvoWorks to its Oppy-Eco Farms go-to-market strategy, creating a unique opportunity to keep shelves stocked with high-quality Mexican avocados.
“We’re excited that AvoWorks chose Oppy and Eco Farms to build their United States sales,” said Rodrigo Lopez, Avocado Category Director for Oppy. “Between the producers that make up Avoworks, we now have the capacity to grow and pack very significant volumes of avocados for the market. While Oppy’s avocado category has grown strategically after acquiring a controlling interest in Eco Farms, we recognize the potential that comes with even greater, constantly reliable supply.”
AvoWorks is a recently formed consortium featuring Michoacán grower-packers Adeac, AvoHit, and La Viña. The consortium currently runs a ripening center in McAllen, Texas, and began shipping through the Oppy-Eco Farms network in late March.
Lopez further noted in the release that this model offers a distinct advantage over the industry’s typical, more transactional supply approach.
“Avocado demand shows no sign of waning, nor does the opportunity to capture the valuable sales dollars they drive at retail, so consistent supply is critical,” said Oppy’s Mark Smith, Director of Sales and Strategy for the Oppy-Eco Farms initiative. “By adding AvoWorks to our grower network, we can smooth out some of the volume dynamics that can affect the flow of Mexican avocados into the market.”
AvoWorks Manager Pedro Somarriba noted in the release that the fruit marketed by the partnership will be co-branded as AvoWorks and Eco Farms to distinguish its quality at the trade level. Additionally, he and the team look forward to collaborating with Oppy on innovations that add value at retail.
“Together, we’re bringing forward a vertically integrated solution—centered in continuity and integrity of supply—provided by a trio of esteemed producers, and channeled through Oppy’s sales and marketing structure,” Somarriba continued. “We are positioned to participate in significant retail programs while consistently meeting the needs of customers large and small.”
An added advantage is AvoHit’s brand-new, state-of-the-art packing facility, which opened in February 2022.
Steve Taft also provided his thoughts on the new partnership.
“We are pleased to have the AvoWorks group as one of our key partners,” Taft, President of Eco Farms, commented. “Having consistent high-quality fruit is very important for us and our customers, so we’re looking forward to generating great results with this program.”
For more partnership and collaboration news, keep checking back to ANUK.
