The finishing touches are being added to the new San Antonio Wholesale Produce Market, but plans are already in place for the second phase of construction in 2017.
Last January, construction of the 30 storage units in each of two buildings was completed. The facility operates much like a condominium complex. Tenants buy or lease the units, and pay dues for maintenance and other services. Office on the second-floor are still under construction.
In July, about two dozen companies will be operating out the market, with most of them handling fruits and vegetables However there also will be companies handling meat, floral and frozen foods.
The need for a new market in San Antonio was overdue, and some companies also operate similar facilities in McAllen, Texas, and Cancun, Reynosa, Veracruz, and Monterrey, Mexico.
San Antionio is considered by many as a hot spot for distribution, with high demand for fresh produce.
Trucks will be arriving primarily from the Pharr-Reynosa bridge near McAllen, where some of the market tenants have their headquarters. But trucks also will be entering the U.S. at ports in El Paso, Eagle Pass and Laredo.
San Antonio is considered an important point of consolidation and distribution for Texas. It is located at the corner of Loop 410 and I-37, which provides easy access to and from the market.
The 80-acre site’s two buildings have docks on the front and back to provide for easier loading of both light cargo and truckloads of fresh produce from Mexico. Construction of a new building with larger units and dry goods storage space is scheduled to start in 2017.
Palomino Produce LLC on the market is headquartered in Aguascaliente, Mexico. This is the company’s first facility in the U.S., and it was one of the first three companies to sign on to the new market. While Palomino Produce is looking at first to distribute in Texas, it has done some direct exporting in California.