CASTROVILLE, Calif. -(July 15, 2010) — Ocean Mist Farms is expanding its production facility, Baja Mist, located in Mexicali Valley, Mexico, in order to accommodate sales growth for its year round program of product grown in Mexico with commodities such as green onions and brussels sprouts.
Ocean Mist Farms has been growing product in Mexico since 2003.
Photo Left: Gilberto Quintana, General Manager Baja Mist
Photo Right: Troy Boutonnet, VP Production Ocean Mist Farms
"We wanted to design, develop, and construct a state of the art green onion processing and cooling facility which integrated all aspects of food safety in an environment that allows us to create superior iceless products with extended shelf life,” said Ocean Mist Farms Vice President of Production Troy Boutonnet. “Our goal is to modernize our entire facility and all of its subsystems and practices in order to create the cleanest, safest products in their class. Expansion, coupled with modernization is the starting line of our goals toward complete customer satisfaction."
Including the new concrete and asphalt areas, process water retention areas, etc., the company is improving more than a total of 75,000 feet of the property in some capacity.
The original Baja Mist facility was 9,100 square feet; the total square footage of the upgraded area, and new construction is 17,710 square feet plus ancillary buildings that will contain , ice making, refrigeration equipment, and chiller room and an office, which adds another 6,000 square feet to the project.
Additionally, a new receiving dock will prevent washed product crossing paths with inbound field totes and two finished product shipping doors in the new cold room will ensure that cooled product never breaks cold chain compliance during the truck loading process.
"We are very proud of what we have designed and look forward to showcasing the Baja Mist facility in Mexico to our customers once it is completed." Boutonnet said. |