Tag: calavo growers inc

September 30, 2010 General Ag News and Notes, Maui Gold Pineapple Post a Comment

Ar-Cal becomes mainland marketer of Maui Gold pineapples

Ar-Cal Distributing has taken over the mainland marketing of Hawaii-grown Maui Gold pineapples.

Ar-Cal, a division of Arvin, Calif.-based Trino Packing and Cold Storage, inked a deal with HaliiMaile, Hawaii-based HaliiMaile Pineapple Co. Ltd. to be the North American sales agent for Maui Golds, which HaliiMaile has exclusive rights to, said John Trino, Ar-Cal’s president.

Santa Paula, Calif.-based Calavo Growers Inc. had been the mainland marketer for Maui Golds when the variety was owned by Makawao, Hawaii-based Maui Land & Pineapple Inc.

HaliiMaile, which became the exclusive marketer of Maui Golds effective Jan. 1, has cut production of Maui Golds from 3,000 to 4,000 acres to 650 acres, Trino said.

Rudy Balala, HaliiMaile’s vice president, said the company is focusing its marketing efforts on the mainland on high-end customers. He said the company can’t compete with pineapples from other countries on price.

“We know we have a superior product,” he said. “Our fruit tastes really good, and we’ve heard a lot of positive comments about it on the mainland.”

HaliiMaile expects to ship about 3,000 to 4,000 cases a week to the mainland U.S., Balala said.

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October 30, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Limoneira Company Announces Sale of Calavo Growers


SANTA PAULA, CA–(Marketwire – 10/30/09) – Limoneira Company (LMNR), one of California’s largest agribusinesses, announced the sale of 335,000 shares of its ownership in Calavo Growers, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVGW), a global leader in the packing and marketing of fresh and processed avocados and other perishable food products. The sales took place on October 8th and 13th 2009, and were made to strengthen the Company’s balance sheet in preparation for its pending East Area 1 master planned community development project in Santa Paula, California. Limoneira continues to own 665,000 Calavo shares, which represents 4.6% of Calavo’s total shares.

"The Limoneira Company remains extremely excited about the bright futures of both Calavo Growers and Limoneira," says Harold Edwards, Limoneira’s CEO. "By monetizing a percentage of our ownership in Calavo Growers we are preparing for upcoming investment requirements in our East Area 1 development project, which will assist in unlocking significant value for both Limoneira and Calavo shareholders." Calavo Growers owns 15% of Limoneira.

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April 30, 2008 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Gerry Watts to Leave Maui Pineapple Company | Reuters

 

KAHULUI, Hawaii–(Business Wire)– Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. (NYSE:MLP) today announced that Gerard "Gerry" Watts, vice president and general manager of its agricultural subsidiary, Maui Pineapple Company Ltd., has accepted an offer to become divisional president of a multinational food company based in Southern California. His resignation from Maui Pineapple Company is effective May 9.

"We are deeply grateful to Gerry Watts for his outstanding work at Maui Pineapple Company," said David Cole, chairman, president and CEO of MLP. "Gerry has done a tremendous amount of work in cost containment and streamlining logistics and was instrumental in the development of our strategic relationship with Calavo Growers, Inc. In the three years he has been with us, he has helped to reshape pineapple strategy and operations. We wish him and his family well as they return to California."

The company is accelerating initiatives Gerry had undertaken to consolidate fresh pineapple operations at its Honolua plantation to take advantage of better growing conditions, shorter growing cycles, and lower operating costs. Robert Webber, COO, CFO & EVP of ML&P, will oversee the transition.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. is committed to the integration of agriculture, natural resource management and eco-effective design principles to create and manage holistic communities. ML&P’s vision of holistic communities is based on the traditional Hawaiian model of ahupua`a, a system of self-reliance based on the artful use of land and water resources to sustain island life indefinitely. ML&P is a Hawai`i corporation and successor to a business organized in 1909. Its principal operating subsidiaries are Maui Pineapple Company Ltd., a producer and marketer of Maui-grown conventional and organic pineapple and diversified produce, and Kapalua Land Company Ltd., operator of Kapalua Resort, a 22,000 acre master-planned resort community in West Maui. For more information, visit mauiland.com.

Gerry Watts to Leave Maui Pineapple Company | Reuters

November 7, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Calavo Growers, Inc. Comments on the Significance of Maui Pineapple Company Ltd. Distribution Agreement – Business News – redOrbit

 

Calavo Growers, Inc. (Nasdaq:CVGW), a worldwide leader in packing and distributing of fresh and processed avocados and other perishable food products, today commented on the strategic benefits it anticipates from the addition of Maui Gold® pineapples to its distribution system.

On Nov. 2, 2007, Maui Land and Pineapple Co. (AMEX:MLP) announced that its agricultural subsidiary, Maui Pineapple Company Ltd., entered into an agreement with Calavo. Under terms of that agreement, beginning Dec. 1, 2007, Calavo will sell, market and distribute Maui Pineapple Company’s Maui Gold fresh product throughout the continental United States and Canada.

The following is a statement from Calavo Chairman, President and CEO Lee E. Cole on the favorable implications of the agreement for the company:

"Our agreement with Maui Pineapple Company is significant on many levels–strategic, operational and financial.

"First, we anticipate that sales of Maui Gold fresh pineapples will contribute $25-30 million in revenues to Calavo’s top line in fiscal 2008, as well as become immediately accretive to earnings.

"Second, the addition of Maui Gold pineapples to our fresh-product lineup is a strong, natural complement to Calavo’s market leadership in Hawaiian-grown Kapoho Solo papayas. In addition, we sell a range of other tropical-produce offerings from the islands. I am confident to say that, through this significant expansion into the pineapple category, Calavo will immediately become the largest distributor and marketer of fresh commodity produce grown in Hawaii, and am duly proud of the company’s economic contribution to the islands.

Calavo Growers, Inc. Comments on the Significance of Maui Pineapple Company Ltd. Distribution Agreement – Business News – redOrbit