At 110 years of age, the Vineland Growers’ Co-operative Ltd is striding into the future with a new headquarters and consolidated distribution centre near Jordan Station, Ontario. The 22-acre site was officially opened on June 22 with both provincial and municipal officials on hand, including Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, Lisa Thompson.

“The plans have been in the works since 2016,” says Mike Ecker, president, Vineland Growers’ Co-operative Ltd, “because our market share continues to increase and we needed to become more efficient in our distribution. We were renting extra storage space to handle the business.”

By far, this is Canada’s largest co-operative of tender fruit, marketing and distributing about 70 per cent of Ontario’s production of fresh apricots, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums. With another state-of-the-art site in Virgil, growers in the western part of the Niagara peninsula are well served. Their fruits are shipped as far west as British Columbia’s border and east into Québec and Atlantic Canada.

To accommodate current and future growth, the new Jordan Station facility has 21 shipping doors for refrigerated trucks to pick up their cargoes for delivery to major grocers. With these additional efficiencies, grower fruit can be harvested in the morning, cooled, delivered to the co-operative by 5 pm, then consolidated for the trucker’s departure by 10 pm. Turn-around time often used to take until midnight, so at least two hours have been shaved off.

Phil Tregunno, board chair, commented on how the co-operative has expanded past its Niagara roots to include marketing alliances with other production areas. Berries and apples grown in Norfolk County are one example.

“Our success is a reflection of the Vineland Growers’ Co-operative employees and a board of directors that is focussed on growth to benefit all our stakeholders,” said Tregunno. “We’re expecting a very big year, with early-ripening nectarine varieties likely to be ready between July 10 and 15.”

Source:  Staff