Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation
Yuma Food Processing Industry
Known as the “America’s Winter Salad Bowl”; Yuma, Arizona has been dedicated to bringing food from field to plate for over 100 years. Located on the border of southern California and Mexico has created a diverse international economy comprised of 4 states and two countries with a collective population of 1.8M people.
The greater Yuma region is home to 25,000 food processing workers and 521 food related companies that account for 30% of our entire labor force. Our strategic location offers food manufacturers access to 52M west coast consumers within a 1-day truck turn and the entire western U.S. within 3-days.
With a seasonal unemployment rate of 20% , Yuma food processors are finding a surplus of FSMA certified workers seeking a transition from temporary employment to year-round processing work. New companies almost immediately realize substantial cost savings and increased production due to our distinct competitive cost of doing of business environment.
The Colorado River is the heart of our community and provides Yuma with an abundant water source that exceeds 40 billion gallons of raw water. Our senior water rights grant us one of the most secure entitlements in Arizona exceeding Phoenix and Tucson. City treatment plants have surplus capacity exceeding 45 million gallons of potable water per day. In addition to abundant water, the region boasts a fully redundant electrical and broadband backbone supported by two 500kV power feeds.
We are the preeminent food processing location in the southwest with a history and future focused on feeding the world.
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
Yuma Food Processing Industry
Known as the “America’s Winter Salad Bowl”; Yuma, Arizona has been dedicated to bringing food from field to plate for over 100 years. Located on the border of southern California and Mexico has created a diverse international economy comprised of 4 states and two countries with a collective population of 1.8M people.
The greater Yuma region is home to 25,000 food processing workers and 521 food related companies that account for 30% of our entire labor force. Our strategic location offers food manufacturers access to 52M west coast consumers within a 1-day truck turn and the entire western U.S. within 3-days.
With a seasonal unemployment rate of 20% , Yuma food processors are finding a surplus of FSMA certified workers seeking a transition from temporary employment to year-round processing work. New companies almost immediately realize substantial cost savings and increased production due to our distinct competitive cost of doing of business environment.
The Colorado River is the heart of our community and provides Yuma with an abundant water source that exceeds 40 billion gallons of raw water. Our senior water rights grant us one of the most secure entitlements in Arizona exceeding Phoenix and Tucson. City treatment plants have surplus capacity exceeding 45 million gallons of potable water per day. In addition to abundant water, the region boasts a fully redundant electrical and broadband backbone supported by two 500kV power feeds.
We are the preeminent food processing location in the southwest with a history and future focused on feeding the world.
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
Sarah Farms is a family owned farm based in El Paso, Texas. Their first processing plant opened in Yuma, AZ in 1994 that continues to operate as one of the Southwest's leading dairy farmers and Yuma's top food processing employers with 500 employees.
The company's mission is "to be the #1 dairy supplier in the southwest providing on-time deliveries of the highest quality dairy products at the lowest sustainable prices."
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
In 2016, Almark Foods was in search of a new site to process 2,000,000 hard boiled eggs daily for their increasing west coast customer base. The company was growing at a rapid pace which demanded a production presence in the western U.S. The principal group chose the prominent food processing firm of Kupperman Location Solutions for their national site search. After scouring sites in Nevada, Arizona and Utah the company narrowed it’s search to the greater Phoenix and Yuma regions.
The primary criteria for a new processing plant location included a scalable workforce with extensive food processing experience, a community that could support their innovation growth plans and the ability to mitigate food safety risk while increasing profitability. Yuma was chosen due to our distinct advantages in each of Almark’s priorities.
In order to meet Almark’s aggressive 1st Q - 2018 construction timeline the community expedited permitting the process and also assisted them in hiring the initial 80 FTE employees (1,800 applicants were screened). Today Almark Foods is producing customized packaged orders for customers in the Midwest and West coast with a workforce of 180 employees and growing. Production has surpassed their grandfather plant in Georgia and there are plans for expansion in the near future.
"All of those places met the distribution capability criteria, but Yuma -- in addition to that -- had the workforce. we had an immediate connection with the folks here and felt like they fit our size." John Stanton, Founder & CEO Almark Foods
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
Datepac was established in August 2002 by local Bard Valley growers to become the best grower-owned company and consolidate the packing of Medjool dates for the Bard Valley Medjool growers. This consolidation enhanced the quality of dates produced and distributed throughout the world.
Today Datepac is the largest grower / packer of Medjool Dates offering full year availability.
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
"Nature Fresh Farms began as a “Build and Sell” project in 1999. As a greenhouse designer, manufacturer, and builder, our Founder & President Pete Quiring recognized that the greenhouse industry was in transition, and that technology and innovation would drive continued growth.
Quiring set out to prove that an upfront investment in state-of-the-art greenhouses would have a transformational impact on quality. From that moment forward, he has been perfecting automation for cost control, technology for crop control, and varietal advancements for consumer appreciation.
Nature Fresh Farms has now grown to become one of the largest independent greenhouse produce growers in Canada, as well as one of the largest greenhouse Bell Pepper growers in North America. Nature Fresh Farms is a tremendously efficient and highly automated greenhouse. Originally modelled after the very best European technologies, it continues to use emerging greenhouse science to achieve new levels of excellence."
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
"Company Mission: At Five Rivers, our core business is cattle feeding. We are committed to improving our business by diligently creating a more closely aligned value chain, investing in our business to ensure its longevity, and maximizing the returns to our shareholders. Within the cattle feeding industry, we are a leader. We take our leadership role very seriously and are dedicated to the future of the industry. To ensure our success in the improvement of our business, we will advance through principle-centered leadership.
Five Rivers’ feedyards are located across a diverse geography. From the mountainous valley of Idaho to the breathtaking views of the Front Range to the Midwestern feel of high plains towns, the communities in which we operate offer fresh air, open spaces, friendly neighbors, a relaxed pace and an abundance of community spirit.
Five Rivers is proud to partner with the communities in which we have locations. We are active participants and sponsors of many community events and causes, and support our employees’ interests outside of the workplace. Be sure to check out careers at Five Rivers."
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
"AT GREENGATE FRESH...
it’s not just about taking orders from customers. It’s about being committed to providing the foodservice industry with safe, quality produce, creating first rate value with competitive pricing. It’s about being accessible to meet our customers’ needs every day. We stay engaged with every aspect involving our products, from the time it’s ordered to the time it delivers. Our commitment to our products and service is built on experience and a strong emphasis on having good relationships with customers. GreenGate believes in using environmentally sustainable practices not because it’s popular but because it’s the right thing to do. We provide superior service, deliver premium quality and offer competitive pricing because it’s the right way to do things."
Green Gate Fresh has cooler locations in Salinas, California and Yuma, Arizona.
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
"The Foxy brand is four generations in the making. Since the early 1930s, the Nunes family has been practicing innovative farming methods in California’s Salinas Valley.
Bob and Tom Nunes pioneered the practice of film-wrapping lettuce in plastic for freshness after forming Nunes Brothers of California in 1966. After selling the company, Nunes Company, Inc. was formed in 1976.
Since then, farming acreage has increased to more than 20,000 crop acres in California, Arizona and Nevada as the Foxy brand was created to help introduce our produce to families throughout the United States and the world."
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
"Dole Food Company's worldwide team of growers, packers, processors, shippers and employees is committed to consistently providing safe, high-quality fresh fruit, vegetables, and food products, while protecting the environment in which its products are grown and processed. Dole's dedication to quality is a commitment solidly backed by: comprehensive programs for food safety, scientific crop protection programs, stringent quality control measures, state-of-the-art production and transportation technologies, continuous improvement through research and innovation, and dedication to the safety of our employees, communities and the environment. Dole is committed to nutrition education to communicate to the public the health benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Dole is a founding member of the National 5 A Day for Better Health Program and is a leader in developing technology-based nutrition education programs for children.
MISSION
Dole Food Company, Inc. is committed to supplying the consumer and our customers with the finest, high-quality products and to leading the industry in nutrition research and education.
Dole supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies."
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
Watch: Highlighting Winter Growing Season from Taylor Farms’ Yuma Fields
February 12th, 2018
PRO*ACT USA went to Yuma, AZ, and interviewed Albert Garnica, VP of Ag Operations for Taylor Farms, to get an update on our Yuma operations this winter.
Albert touched on the different growing regions and microclimates present in the Arizona desert, and how transitioning growing regions throughout the year from California to Arizona (and back) helps Taylor Farms provide consistent and quality fresh produce year round.
He also shared some of the challenges we’re facing right now, and why we have a positive outlook for the next several weeks! Watch the full interview here:
Consider all of us at Greater Yuma EDC an extension of your team. We are your arbitrator with all local and state public agencies. We are Grantee of Foreign Trade (FTZ) 219 and will partner with you to obtain FTZ status if applicable. We are prepared for every size project.
Driscoll's Way
Driscoll's is committed to growing only the Finest Berries. Family-owned and operated for over 100 years, berries are all that we do.
"Optimal Locations for Fresh Produce
We believe high-quality produce can only be achieved by growing in optimal locations that allow our seeds to thrive. That’s why our entire farming operation follows the sun from ranch to ranch. Each farm has been carefully selected for soil, climate and environmental factors that allow us to grow year-round.
From April to October, we grow our produce on ranches stretching from Castroville to Soledad in California. Then from November to March, we farm land in Yuma, Arizona, the Imperial Valley and Oxnard, California (with celery ranches in Oxnard continuing to grow through June). In between our main growing seasons, we leverage farmland in Huron, California. And all the while we are growing premium fresh lettuces at our state-of-the-art greenhouses in Livingston, Tennessee. This rotation schedule ensures not only premium quality products, but surety of supply for our customers and consumers."
SAVOR FRESH FARMS, YUMA, AZ
Where Flavorful Melons Come First
"About Savor Fresh Farms
This group of farmers is devoted to growing melons, and only melons. Their total focus is on production, harvesting and shipping melons, with each stage managed by a family member. The company’s founders, Milas Russell Jr. and wife Diana, make it their goal to maximize food safety in the fields, and grow for sweetness, taste, color and consistency. They leave melons out in the field longer than most growers to drink up sun and develop sugars.
Savor Fresh Farm’s season starts in California’s Imperial Valley in late spring, then moves to Yuma, Az. followed by the San Joaquin Valley of California during the summer months, then returns to Yuma for the final harvest in the fall. During this 6 month run Baldor has supplies of the most succulent, flavorful, safe melons both whole and fresh cut.
With the end use customers in mind, we have reshaped our business model in order to bring the best eating experience possible to each and every consumer.
Sandstone"