Produce growers freshen up production

How 6 produce packers found fresh ways to boost efficiency, lower production costs and improve traceability  

Reliable and efficient carton coding and marking is a critical success factor for produce growers, packers and shippers. While there are many providers of inkjet technology to choose from, no one else matches what Matthews Marking Systems brings to the table, including produce industry know how, the most reliable printers and labelers in the industry, a broad range of high-quality inks and our MPERIA universal marking and coding platform. 

When all these elements come together, the results are exceptional. Let’s take a look at six produce packaging and shipping operations that have seen remarkable success working with our teams of industry experts to lower costs and improve efficiency.   

Porterville Citrus — This premier packager of multiple citrus fruits based in Tulare County, Calif., reduced consumable expenses by approximately 80% and significantly boosted productivity and overall equipment efficiency (OEE) by adopting a solution from Matthews. The MPERIA-based solution coupled with thermal and piezo inkjet printers integrated seamlessly with Porterville’s existing line components and workflow while also improving speed, accuracy, and ease of operation. 

Calvo Growers – A Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) based on a legacy labeling solution was costing time and money and creating aggravation – something an operation that ships some 12 million boxes of avocados annually could ill afford. Implementing Matthews Marking System’s automated and centralized MPERIA marking and coding solution with thermal inkjet (TIJ) print technology fulfilled the requirements of Calvo Growers PTI efforts and led to major cost reductions and increased efficiency. 

4Earth Farms — One of the largest organic produce suppliers in the U.S., 4Earth Farms planted the seed for future growth with a turnkey automated labeling system. In this case, Matthews engineered a customized solution that combined the MPERIA A-Series Print and Apply Automatic Labeling System with a conveyor in a complete unit. The result was continuous production flow and better utilization of personnel. 

Pete’s Living Greens — Facing issues with dated printing equipment causing barcode readability issues on cases of hydroponically grown butter lettuce, Pete’s turned to MPERIA L-Series thermal inkjet printers that significantly improved barcode readability with consistent high-resolution marks. Centralized marking control and data integration enhanced Pete’s traceability efforts as well. 

Richard Bagdasarian, Inc.Family owned and operated, Bagdasarian is one of California’s largest growers and shippers of table grapes and citrus. By replacing a legacy labeling system with an automated print an apply labeling solution from Matthews, the firm realized a number of key benefits including a 30% production gain thanks to increased speed, accuracy and enhanced quality control, and the operation benefitted from improved operator morale. 

Ventura Pacific Company – A premier grower and packer of California lemons marketed through the Sunkist label, Ventura Pacific replaced a troublesome and costly labeling systems with direct carton coding using Matthew’s T-Series piezo inkjet printers. This resulted in an 80% savings on consumable costs and increase production efficiency leading to full ROI in just one year.

As these customers have discovered, Matthews knows the produce industry and we are experts when it comes helping you increase your output while improving the quality of your marks. No matter what challenges you’re facing, no matter the requirements, our experts know how to make it happen. Contact us below to discover the Matthews Marking Systems difference for yourself.