Progressive thinking and
impressive technology make a smooth-running operation.
In 2004, Four Seasons Produce opened one of the largest produce warehouses in
the Northeast. This 262,000-square foot facility provides over 190,000-square
feet of cold storage, 35 dock doors, and the ability to receive railcar loads.
The efficiencies created by the new facility and the state-of-the-art
operational systems have helped the company move to a new level of customer
service.
Four Seasons' distribution center is specifically designed for produce storage.
This includes multiple humidity and temperature-controlled areas and separation
by ethylene sensitivity - which impacts the rate at which fruit and vegetables
ripen. The facility configuration and the placement of rooms allow effective
pallet building while achieving the peak of efficiency.
Systems - Fours Seasons' technology begins with our online web based order
processing and order tracking system. Customers log onto the Four Seasons' web
site and place orders using a customized order guide. Once an order is
submitted, the customer receives an email confirmation, and can track the
progress of their shipment on the day of delivery.
 To
maximize the accuracy and timeliness of pallet building and shipments to
customers, Four Seasons has a Warehouse Management System (WMS) integrated with
voice recognition. With their hands free, order selectors perform accurately
and more efficiently. Because our WMS is configurable, it also matches the way
we replenish and cross-dock fresh produce.
The WMS utilizes lot codes to ensure product is properly rotated and released.
Lot coding identifies where products are sourced and where they are
distributed, in case of a product recall. Product recall information can be
accessed in a matter of minutes, not hours.
Equipment - Our production facility houses state-of-the-art equipment, offering
our customers a wide range of packaging solutions for both conventional and
organic products:
. A Color-Sorter-Sizer machine that grades tomatoes and other commodities to
exact customer specifications
. Three Exact Over-Wrap and Weighing machines capable of over-wrapping both
pulp and plastic trays, while applying both customized top labels and bar-coded
bottom labels on each package.
. Three NEWTEC Citrus Bagging machines that bag citrus fruits both in
polyurethane and mesh bags ranging in sizes from #2 to #10.
. A Pint Clamshell Filling machine for grape and cherry tomatoes, which also
provides customized labeling and bar coding.
Four Seasons' production facility can handle large volumes, and includes
licensed bagging services for both Sunkist and Tropicana citrus products. We
bag various sizes of Navel oranges, Valencia oranges, lemons, limes, and
grapefruit, and we can also facilitate customized packaging. Four Seasons can
package both conventional and organic produce under our label, and we can
provide private label programs.
Logistics: Four Seasons' transportation capabilities meet or exceed all US
Department of Transportation requirements. We own and maintain our own fleet of
90 trucks consisting of sprinter vans, straight trucks, tractors and trailers,
with additional independent contactors for deliveries in our service areas.
Dispatch coverage is 24/7, with fleet communication that includes the latest in
Qualcomm satellite technology and Descartes Roadshow transportation routing
system. We communicate effectively with our drivers in real time to meet our
customers' product and delivery specifications. As a result, we can commit with
confidence to delivery windows, while ensuring a safe and expedient delivery.
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