OXNARD, CA - Regional, intimate, and opportunity-packed, the Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Exposure event is just around the corner and building excitement as the date closes in. With leading-edge companies from across categories slated to converge in Orlando, Florida, we just had to put our finger on the pulse of some of these trailblazing exhibitors to discover what’s up, what’s coming, and what the message will be at 2022’s Southern Exposure.

Raina Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Westfalia Fruit USA LLC, stands on the front lines of one of these operations and joined me to discuss the international program and what it means to be a company so invested in its vision.

“At this year’s SEPC, our key message will be sharing our story about why Westfalia is a global leader in avocados. We are #Avoexperts and are excited to bring this global expertise to the United States,” Raina shared with me. “We have such a rich history of innovation and sustainability that we remain anchored in today. Our resources, proficiency, and vision for the future support our mission to get a Westfalia avocado in the hands of every consumer in the U.S. We are thrilled to be exhibiting at Southern Exposure for the first time so stop by and learn more.”

As a fully-fledged, fully developed global company, these resources, advantages, and benefits Westfalia refers to are no small consideration.

“Westfalia’s global value proposition offers a first-class portfolio of services and products. We grow and operate a multi-national footprint from both established and developing growing areas and can determine the best supply routes to ensure year-round supply,” Raina expressed. “We create the most cost-effective methods to deliver our global products and create new ways of adding value to our stakeholders. We have the advantage of operating in numerous markets, which allows us to leverage our successes which is a huge advantage.”

So, how does a company achieve such high standards and execution? Raina reflected that Westfalia operates with the purpose to do good in all things.

“This is evident in our culture which is foundational to our existence,” she noted. “We are driven by our values and ethics, we are focused on the health and safety of our people, we strive to be innovative and agile, remain committed to sustainability, as we have been since our beginnings in 1949, and we are better together.”

You could call this operation a puzzle in many ways, with all pieces fitting intricately together. With superior growing and harvesting strategies, a pioneering research team—Westfalia Technical Services—developing superior rootstocks and cultivars, and Westfalia nurseries strategically located close to diverse worldwide growing areas, the company is more than interconnected.

“We have direct influence on quality and supply chain. We not only grow our own fruit but also source, ripen, pack, process, and market quality avocados year-round—all in a sustainable manner. We are experts at ripening avocados, and the U.S. market will surely benefit from the Westfalia model,” Raina stated.

This passion and intention are now focused heavily on the U.S. market in 2022 and beyond.

“Our vision for growth in the U.S. is exciting, and the support from our global leadership and boards are determined for success,” Raina added. “We will create a sales presence in every region and bring our proven global successes to the U.S. by creating channel leadership with new ways of adding value to the supply chain, services, and products.”

Also top of mind at this year’s Southern Exposure will be Westfalia’s sustainability initiatives.

With a trifecta of environmental, social, and economic (ESG) sustainability objectives at play across locales from Africa, Europe, South America to the USA, it is easy to see how Westfalia is making a huge impact on the way our global community lives.

“It begins with our global leadership’s commitment to sustainability based on the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals. We focus on ensuring our environmental commitments become an integral part of our day-to-day activities, and that we seek ways to continually improve our environmental performance and operate in a responsible manner, including reducing waste and reducing our carbon emissions,” Raina wraps, but still, there is so much more of Westfalia’s sustainability journey to tell.

More details can be found in the company’s Sustainability Story published here. And, please visit the Westfalia team at SEPC’s Southern Exposure March 3–5, and check out booth #936 for even more information and avocado love.

Westfalia Fruit USA LLC