CarbAmericas, a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based importer of fresh fruits and vegetables, inaugurated a facility through a partnership with CarGoldMex, a grower shipper and packer of Mexican fruits and vegetables located in Irapuato, Mexico.
In 2013, CarbAmericas owners Jeff Friedman and Danny Pollak partnered with Pablo and Elias Chimely Montibeller to develop and build CarGoldMex S.A. de C.V. Since 2014, the company has been a leader in the production, processing and packaging of vegetables in Central Mexico. It is a fully vertically integrated operation, ensuring quality and traceability of its products around the world and spans four continents (North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania). CarbAmericas will send products to the United States via Nogales and McAllen from this facility.
CarGoldMex is starting to pack broccoli at the new facility, and will process various other fruits and vegetables, including asparagus, bell peppers and strawberries at different times throughout the year. CarGoldMex expects to create hundreds of jobs in the Irapuato and its surrounding areas.
“We are truly excited to start this new endeavor with our partners,” says Chimely Montibeller, chief executive officer of CarGoldMex. “We have worked very hard to get the facility ready for production, and now the time has come to supply our customers with our high-quality produce.”
CarGoldMex is certified with Primus GFS, which includes GMPs and HACCP protocols. Additionally, product is grown on Primus-certified farms. Up next for the company is completing its social responsibility certification.
“Any company we support and every project of which we are a part must pass our standards of quality and food safety,” says Friedman, president of CarbAmericas. “CarGoldMex is no different, and we are proud of what we have built together with Pablo and Elias in Irapuato. With our innovation-oriented culture and the supply chain efficiencies we can drive from this facility, we see a bright future for this location and the retail customers we support with our Mexican programs.”
