Page 90 - index

BLAST FROM THE PAST
GROUNDBREAKING MOMENT FOR MIKE’S MELONS
He is 73 years young. And he still walks with purpose, ev-
ery day, at 5 a.m. for a full hour to have a clear vision of the company’s current affairs and its next steps.
Miguel Molina is the
quintessential produce
leader, a man who built
a business from the ground up in Honduras — lit- erally — and made it a global powerhouse. You might recognize the name Mike’s Melons (named for Miguel), but you might not know that parent company Agropecuaria Montelibano is present in more than 35 countries worldwide, stretching from North America to the UK to the Middle East and Asia. Or that it harvests a whopping 85,000 tons of those melons each year.
The numbers are pretty amazing for any produce company, let alone one that got its start only after its owner, Molina, bailed on a career as a crop fumigating pilot in the cotton fields of southern Honduras to take a flier on the melon industry.
Agropecuaria began in 1979 with a planting of 15 hectares of melons that were sold to an intermediary that packed and shipped the fruit to the United States. In 1983, the company made its first
shipment to the United States under the Mike’s Melons label.
When Molina started the business in one of the poorest areas of Hondu- ras, there wasn’t much in the way of technology, standards or processes. Manual labor was the
norm, day in and day out on the farms. In the center of the top picture, Miguel is seen driving a tractor. Though he has put the tractor aside, he still works long hours ... sometimes until 9 p.m. His sons and daughters play a critical role in daily operations. Alejandra Molina (pictured with Miguel in bottom photo) runs the commercial side of the European Market.
The family never forgets where or how it start- ed, so it gives quite a bit back to the community. The company has won numerous awards for being socially responsible, for opening access to other markets and for its business practices and has been
lauded by the Honduran government.
Miguel is going strong, with family members Alejandra, Miguel
Jr., Oscar, Jenny, Pamela, Keny and Cynthia by his side ... still grow- ing and still working hard to provide quality produce. pb
information showcase
Receive supplier information fast by using the Produce Business Information Showcase. Here’s how: Contact the advertiser directly via the website, email, or phone listed in the ad.
COMPANY PAGE # PHONE WEBSITE
Advance Customs
Brokers & Consulting ......... 60 ..... 786-476-0700 ..... advancecustomsbrokers.com
Alpine Fresh .......................... 60 ..... 800-292-8777 ......................... alpinefresh.com Altar Produce ........................ 60 ..... 760-357-6762........................altarproduce.com Anthony Vineyards Inc. .......... 30 ..... 661-858-8300 ............... anthonyvineyards.com Anthony Vineyards Inc. .......... 40 ..... 661-858-8300 ............... anthonyvineyards.com Maurice A. Auerbach ..............61 ..... 201-807-9292 ..............................auerpak.com Ayco Farms ............................61 ..... 954-788-6800 .......................... aycofarms.com Bari Produce ......................... 58 ..... 559-560-5600 .........................bariproducecom Blue Book Services.................13 ..... 630-668-3500............... producebluebook.com California Giant Berry Farms .. 23 ..... 831-728-1773................................ calgiant.com Capital City Fruit Co. Inc. ........ 73 ..... 515-981-5111....................... capitalcityfruit.com CarbAmericas.........................61 ..... 954-786-0000 ......................carbamericas.com Christopher Ranch ................ 64 ..... 408-847-1100................. christopherranch.com Columbia Marketing Int’l ....... 35 ..... 509-663-1955 ........................... cmiapples.com Courchesne Larose................ 79 ..... 514-754-7990 ................ courchesnelarose.com Crowley Maritime ...................61 ..... 800-CROWLEY .............. customizedbrokers.net Crystal Valley Foods............... 60 ..... 305-591-6567 ................crystalvalleyfoods.com Del Monte Fresh Produce ....... 92 ..... 800-950-3683 .................... freshdelmonte.com Des Moines Truck Brokers...... 73 ..... 515-981-2156.................................... dmtb.com DiMare Fresh - CA..................66..... 209-862-2872........................dimarefresh.com Dole Fresh Fruit Company ........ 2 ..... 818-879-6600 ................................... dole.com Dole Fresh Fruit Company ...... 29 ..... 818-879-6600 ................................... dole.com Dole Fresh Vegetable ............. 60 ..... 800-333-5454 ................................... dole.com Farm Direct Supply ................ 60 ..... 561-910-4341 ................. farmdirectsupply.com Farmer’s Daughter Consulting 42 ..... 916-234-3760...farmersdaughterconsulting.com Fierman Produce Exchange .... 27 ..... 718-893-1640
FirstFruits Marketing ............. 40 ..... 877-512-7753..................................ffm-wa.com Florida Restaurant
and Lodging Show ............. 46 ..... 203-840-5950 . flrestaurantandlodgingshow.com Fresh Origins .......................... 9 ..... 760-736-4072.......................... brightfresh.com Georgia-Pacific...................... 43 .................................................. gppackaging.com Giorgio Fresh ........................ 50 ..... 800-330-5711 .........................giorgiofresh.com Global M.J.L. Ltd....................80..... 514-858-5566.............................globalmjl.com Gourmet Trading Company .....61 ..... 310-216-7575......................gourmettrading.net
90 / AUGUST 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
COMPANY PAGE # PHONE WEBSITE
Harris Consulting Solutions ... 50 ..... 269-903-7481.................................................. Harvest Sensations ................61 ..... 305-591-8173 ............... harvestsensations.com Hess Brothers Fruit Co. ............ 7 ..... 717-656-2631 ............................. hessbros.com Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion
Promotion Committee ........ 56 ..... 888-466-4667 ......................... usaonions.com S. Katzman Produce .............. 59 ..... 718-991-4700 ................. katzmanproduce.com Tom Lange Co........................60..... 217-786-3300.............................tomlange.com Mann Packing ........................ 11 ..... 800-884-6266 .............. veggiesmadeeasy.com MIXTEC Group ....................... 27 ..... 818-541-0124 .................................. mixtec.net Mooney Farms ...................... 66 ..... 530-899-2661 ....................... moneyfarms.com Naturipe Farms........................ 5 ..... 239-591-1164 ......................naturipefarms.com New York Apple Assoc Inc. ..... 37 ..... 585-924-2171 ....................nyapplecountry.com New York Apple Sales, Inc...... 39 ..... 518-477-7200 ..............newyorkapplesales.com Nickey Gregory...................... 69 ..... 404-366-7410......................nickeygregory.com Organics Unlimited ............... 63 ..... 619-710-0658 ............... organicsunlimited.com Pacific Tomato Growers ......... 66 ..... 941-722-0778 ................... sunripecertified.com Peri & Sons Farms ................. 54 ..... 775-463-4444 ....................... periandsons.com The Perishable Specialist ...... 60 ..... 305-477-9906 ...... theperishablespecialist.com Phillips Mushroom Farms ...... 49 ..... 800-722-8818 ......phillipsmushroomfarms.com Pratt Industries ..................... 42 ..... 856-404-1351 .................... prattindustries.com Produce for Better
Health Foundation...............91 ..... 302-235-2329 .....................pbhfoundation.org producepackaging.com.........44..... 800-644-8729..............producepackaging.com Progressive Produce .............60..... 323-829-3061 ............progressiveproduce.com Shuman Produce Inc. .............55 ..... 912-557-4477 ............................ realsweet.com Southern Specialties ..............61 ..... 954-784-6500 ............ southernspecialties.com Spice World, Inc. ................... 30 ..... 800-433-4979 ..................... spiceworldinc.com SweeTango ........................... 38 ..... 585-345-9453.......................... sweetango.com Tambo Sur ............................ 60 ..... 954-943-1572 .............................tambosur.com Tastee Apple ..........................31 ..... 740-498-8316 ........................ tasteeapple.com United Fresh Produce Assoc... 47 ..... 202-303-3400 .......................... unitedfresh.org United Fresh Produce Assoc... 83 ..... 202-303-3400 .......................... unitedfresh.org The USA Bouquet .................. 85 ..... 800-306-1071..................................usabq.com Washington Fruit & Produce .. 36 ..... 509-457-6177 .............................washfruit.com Wholesum Family Farms ........ 65 ..... 520-281-9233................ wholesumharvest.com Kurt Zuhlke & Association...... 44 ..... 800-644-8729..............producepackaging.com
AUGUST 2018