Stand Up and Deliver

In the produce industry, creating something innovative is no longer the domain of the farmers growing the vegetables and fruits, as it exclusively once was long ago.For one Ontario-based company, it prefers to invent its own innovation processes,with new flavors and products and even through technology.Located in Mississauga, Ont., Freshline Foods offers a compelling case in point. First opening its doors in 1997, the fast-growing company is considered to be one of Canada’s premier processors of fresh cut value-added fruits and vegetables.
A key member of a larger family of companies that provide fresh produce solutions from field to fork, Freshline with its 200 employees and 55,000-square-foot facility focus on the processing and packaging of fruits and vegetables.“It all began with Bamford Produce,a fourth generation food service distribution company that was established in 1881,” Freshline vice-president Noel Brigido told Canadian Packaging during a recent visit to the facility. Along with Bamford Produce and Freshline, other companies in the group are:
Fresh Advancements, an importer and wholesaler of fresh produce; Bamford Family Farms who provide local growing of many varieties of apples; Bay Growers who offer up-to-date apple growing, storage and packing facilities; and F.A. International Inc., a global commercial transportation company specializing in logistics and supply chain management.