Grimmway Farms Celebrates Success in the Southeast as Florida-Georgia Season Kicks Off
ORLANDO, FL AND BAKERSFIELD, CA - For the 21st year in a row, Grimmway Farms is bringing its best to the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit Convention and Expo in Orlando, FL. And as fortune would have it, the timing lines up perfectly with the company beginning to sow its seeds for another carrot crop in the Florida-Georgia growing region.
This last February, Grimmway unveiled a new Southeast Regional Packing Facility and Warehouse in Cook County, Georgia, with attendees including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black, local officials, and other community and business leaders. And to boot, according to a press release, the sandy soils nearby in northern Florida and southern Georgia produce high-quality carrots with the shape, length, color, and taste Grimmway strives to provide the market. 
“Opening a regional production facility has brought us closer to our customers, reducing time to market and allowing us to be more responsive to their needs,” said Eric Proffitt, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We have enjoyed working with and learning from growers and partners in the Southeast, helping us become better at what we do.”
Grimmway said its decision to invest in the Southeast operation has benefitted both its customers and the rural and agricultural economies surrounding the facility and nearby farmland. The location was chosen strategically to create logistical efficiencies, reduce freight costs, and provide its East Coast customers with speedier access to locally-grown carrots. 
“We are always looking for fertile regions to further develop our programs,” said Jeff Huckaby, President. “Our Southeast operation aligns with our goals to ensure consistent supply and quality products to our regional customers during seasons of greatest demand.”
Beyond the excitement going on down in the Southeast, Secretary Perdue announced last Friday that Huckaby has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee.
Customers and conference attendees can visit Grimmway at PMA booth #1659 and learn more about the growing regions that help the company to offer year-round carrot and organic vegetable programs. With carrot production spanning across seven states, the company will start shipping from the Southeast facility in late January and expect operations to stay active through May.
