Pure Flavor®’s New Georgia Greenhouse Grows Results
LEAMINGTON, ON - It’s been only three months since Pure Flavor® picked its first pieces of produce from the company’s new Fort Valley, Georgia, greenhouse facility, but the company has already set its sights on changing the landscape of the southeast U.S. Pure Flavor is celebrating its expansive accomplishment in a big way, this week, at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure in Orlando, Florida, where the company’s focus will be on promoting the new Georgia greenhouse.
“When we put the first shovel in the ground 18 months ago, we knew we had our work cut out for us as a project of this scope had never been built in in the Southeast,” said Jamie Moracci, President, in a press release. “We have a strong leadership team in place who have embraced the opportunity to create impact with a great product; the feedback from customers has been fantastic.”
Phase 1 was completed in late Fall 2018, with the first crops of cucumbers and tomatoes picked in early December 2018, and the next two phases are to be built across 25 acres over 5 years.
The new greenhouse in Fort Valley, Georgia, is currently growing the following items:
- Tomatoes on The Vine
- Sweet Red Cocktail Tomatoes
- Long English Cucumbers
- Mini Cucumbers
“Our team has done a great job in Fort Valley getting our first growing season under our belts. Learning how a crop will react to the environment has been a great experience to date and our growers are adapting it to ensure the plants our producing in an optimal environment,” commented Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice-President.
A vertically-integrated vegetable company with a family of growers throughout North America, Pure Flavor is prepped to partner with more and more produce purveyors throughout the Southeast.
According to the company’s press release, Pure Flavor’s new Georgia facility has opened its doors with a local product to service key retail and foodservice partners in the region. This has also allowed Pure Flavor to open other markets with additional product as the company’s family of growers continues to expand season over season.
“When it comes to bringing new products to market like our new Georgia tomatoes and cucumbers, we have embraced the Georgia Grown brand to ensure that our customers know where the product is grown and who grew it,” said Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer. “The response to new products has been very positive on all fronts with feedback coming across all social channels and email. The new tomatoes and cucumbers were served recently at the Governor of Georgia’s Inaugural Luncheon when he took office.”
Additionally, the company noted, construction of a new 60,000-square-foot distribution center will finish construction this spring.
Located just off I-75, just minutes from the new greenhouse facility, Pure Flavor’s new distribution center will serve as a consolidation point, providing the company with an opportunity to provide retailers and foodservice partners in the Southeast with a greater assortment of Pure Flavor® greenhouse grown vegetables.
Pure Flavor’s new distribution center will join DCs in Leamington, ON; Romulus, MI; and San Antonio, TX, to support its vast network of growers throughout North America.
Interested in learning more about Pure Flavor’s growing operations? Visit booth #1120 at SEPC’s Southern Exposure in Orlando, FL, March 9th, and check out the company’s website for more information.
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