Posts Tagged “Transfresh”
After 40 years of dedicated service, continuous innovation and unparalleled customer service, Rich Macleod, director of the TransFresh Corporation North America Pallet Division, will retire effective June 30, 2016, it was announced today by Ken Diveley, president and CEO, TransFresh.
Macleod will be succeeded by long-time TransFresh veteran Michael Parachini and will remain available to Parachini, the Tectrol Service Network and TransFresh customers for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition.
“For many years, Rich has been the guiding force behind the success of the TransFresh Pallet Division and a wide range of pioneering services and operational innovations that have enhanced the efficiency and efficacy of the Tectrol Modified Atmosphere Packaging System, offering growers and shippers a system for increased marketability of their fresh berry products and retailers a potential for greater returns on their investment,” Diveley said. “Although we will miss Rich and wish him a rewarding retirement, I am confident that the experienced TransFresh Tectrol Service Network, under Michael’s leadership, will carry on Rich’s legacy of exceptional technical know-how and commitment to customer service without missing a beat,” Diveley said.
Macleod earned his Master of Science degree in Postharvest Plant Physiology from the University of California, Davis, and worked as a research assistant in the UC Davis vegetable crops division. In 1976, he joined TransFresh Corporation as a lab assistant and rapidly became involved in evaluating the commercial relevance of Tectrol Technologies across a wide range of commodities, ultimately helping to develop a range of new applications utilizing controlled and modified atmosphere packaging.
During his 40-year tenure, Macleod secured several key patents, led critical internal R&D initiatives, spearheaded proprietary research and partnered with prominent universities, federal agencies and produce trade organizations to study and quantify the economic efficacy of Tectrol Modified Atmospheres and cold chain control leading to improved retail shelf quality. Throughout the years, MacLeod has consistently maintained that any technology developed by TransFresh or the trade must have a measurable economic impact on the retail front end.
Macleod served in increasingly senior positions at TransFresh until he was ultimately appointed as head of the Pallet Division in 1990. Most recently, Macleod championed his team’s successful development of the new TransFresh Tectrol Storage Solutions for Blueberries. The Storage Solution marries the Tectrol Technology with a unique zipper-sealed pallet closure system and a precision application of Apio’s patented BreatheWay® Technology to balance package permeability, resulting in stable atmospheres that are maintained over longer periods of time.
“I am grateful to have had a truly rewarding career in an industry that I love,” said Macleod, “and I am confident I am leaving behind a strong team that, with Michael at the helm, will continue to service our customers and the fresh produce industry with sound technical capabilities and dedicated effort. I look forward to seeing their many achievements in the months and years to come.”
Parachini, who will shortly celebrate his 27th anniversary with TransFresh, brings to his new position an illustrious history with the company. From operational and technical services management to R&D initiatives and from critical process improvements in support of customer needs to advanced equipment design and implementation, he has been deeply involved in the delivery and expansion of TransFresh and Tectrol Technologies throughout North America. A third-generation Californian, Parachini received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Management from California Polytechnic State University.
About TransFresh
TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with 50 years of experience in perishables transport – recently recognized as a milestone achievement by America’s fresh produce hub, the City of Salinas, California. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol® pallet and storage systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol® as the industry standard.
While TransFresh Corp. devotes plenty of resources to preparing fresh berries for in-transit travel to destinations far and wide, it also has specialists at the docks to evaluate product when it is ready to come off the truck.
“We continue to be involved with tracking the product and how it is doing upon arrival,” states Rich Macleod of TransFresh Corp., known for its Tectrol® Service Network that provides covering for palletized product infused with CO2 (carbon dioxide), extending the quality of life for perishable items such as berries.
With of the projects of TransFresh is partnering with the Scotland based company, Insignia Technologies that manufactures temperature sensitive labels that go on cartons.
“What’s really intriguing about their technology is rather than it being a temperature switch, i.e., if a particular carton senses a temperature of 50 degrees F. or higher at anytime, it will change color,” Macleod observes.
For example if a carton of berries is unloaded off the truck at destination, and it is showing a little warmer temperature verses other cartons, it can be put another truck for faster store delivery before other product with cooler temperatures. The same theory applies even at the retail store level. If a produce manager sees a color change with a carton, he knows it should be put in a display case to be sold before other products.
“This can help maintain quality and reduce shrink with product, and the customer ‘experience'”, Macleod says. “So we have been doing a lot of work in this area to improve the technology. Lots of people are wanting to try it, but it is still in its infancy. It usually requires me, or one of my associates to be there for the testing. We’re probably another year away from announcing something on this.”
This research is unique, Macleod notes, because the visual color change with the carton reveals any “abuse” of the product, anywhere along the shipping point to destination.
“In the transportation (in-transit) portion, we’re going to give them (drivers) a lot of leeway. The color changes won’t be changing until the product hits the retail store,” Macleod says. “So this is a product we are working on and it is coming. I see a huge upside to that, because there are concerns about food safety and temperature. This may allow us to identify that random carton,” he concludes. — Bill Martin
(This is last of a III-Part series based on an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp, Salinas, CA. He has been with the company 40 years and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
Berries have always posed one of the higher risks for produce truckers because of in-transit perishability. However, because of research and technology the chances of a retailer being pleased with quality upon arrival at the dock are much better. That can mean fewer problems for the driver at destination.
TransFresh Corp. of Salinas, CA has been at the forefront for decades in studying ways to extend the shelf life of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, among other items.
Some of the technology research at TransFresh is resulting from the way strawberries are now being marketed, Rich Macleod of the company relates. Just take a look in the produce department at your local supermarket and chances are you’ll see more two-pound and four-pound strawberries in clamshell packaging being promoted, with less emphasis on one pounders.
At the same time, raspberries, which are among the most perishable of berries, has been receiving extra attention.
“We still need to learn how to correctly ship raspberries. At TransFresh we’ve had to make adjustments a couple of times for shipping raspberries,” Macleod releates. Much of that learning process relates to the Tectrol program where palletized fruit is sealed in a bag with CO2 (carbon dioxide) that slows product deterioration and extends the life of the product.
“Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries all use the same common denominator,” Macleod observes. “But what happens is we customize the pallet bag we put on each product. So at the time the strawberry pallet or raspberry pallet moves across our conveyors (at the packing house), the people (working there) approve a bag (for shipping).”
Much of that approval is based on the color of the palletized bag, which determines on which load the product will be shipped.
For example, raspberries may be in a green bag, strawberries in a red bag, etc. Additionally, all the bags are numbered.
Macleod adds, “There is some sophistication even among the colors of the bags. The two pounders (clamshell packs) have a different color from the four pounders and one pounders. We are always training the operators of the machines for the pallets, which bags to select.” — Bill Martin
(This is Part II in a III-Part series based on an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp, Salinas, CA. He has been with the company 40 years and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
The 2016 California strawberry market, evidenced by decreased acreage, an early fast pace and predicted volume resilience, bodes well for growers, shippers and retailers – especially those who protect their investment by choosing Tectrol during berry in-transit, according to Rich Macleod, director, TransFresh Corporation.
The California Strawberry Commission Acreage Survey for 2016 reports that total acreage is down due to increased pressures from production costs and regulators but that despite the downward shift, volume is predicted to be resilient and consumer demand strong.
“Now more than ever, growers, shippers and retailers must protect the quality of their berry products so that every pallet, tray and clamshell achieves the greatest return on investment possible,” said Macleod. The Tectrol Modified Atmosphere Packaging System is scientifically proven to significantly decrease decay during transit and on-shelf, delivering a strong level of protection beyond industry low temperature management to help ensure the quality and marketability of fresh berry products.
Macleod pointed to a peer-reviewed joint research study from the University of Florida and University of California / Davis that compared cross-country shipments of California strawberries. Researchers found that strawberries transported using the sealed Tectrol pallet cover system in which CO2 levels were consistently held demonstrated a significant reduction in decay and better quality on arrival and on-shelf compared to other methods.
“The advantage of decreased incidents of decay and decay severity has a direct correlation to revenue potential,” said Macleod. “The financial implications are stunning
when you consider the hundreds of thousands of strawberry pallets shipped during the season.” The TransFresh website, www.TransFresh.com, includes a calculator function that allows visitors to view the financial benefits they could realize when using Tectrol.
Throughout the postharvest shipping process, TransFresh also provides full-service technical and quality assurance support and productivity management through the Tectrol Service Network.
About TransFresh®
TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol pallet and storage systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as the industry standard. For more information, please visit www.transfresh.com.
About the University of Florida and University of California/Davis Research Study
The study, Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry Fruit Quality during Transport, published in Hort Technology, August 2012, evaluated the efficacy of multiple different proprietary plastic pallet cover systems to maintain strawberry fruit quality during commercial shipment. The TransFresh Tectrol Modified Atmosphere system was one of those assessed. Non-covered pallets served as the control for the study. During the comparison, the different covers were placed over palletized California-harvested strawberries packed in vented plastic clamshells and cooled according to industry standards.
CO2 was injected into the sealed Tectrol pallet bag system according to TransFresh specifications. Pallet cover systems other than Tectrol remained open at the base and without the injection of pressurized CO2 prior to shipment. Six separate shipments of palletized fruit were transported to distribution centers in either Florida or Georgia, with transit times ranging from slightly over two to almost five days. After arrival, berry clamshell samples from each treatment were retrieved and evaluated for arrival quality. Samples were then held for an added two days at 68º F. to mimic post arrival distribution, after which, quality attributes were again assessed. Researchers concluded that “transporting fruit in the sealed Tectrol pallet cover system, in which CO2 concentrations were elevated at 11 to 16 percent, was most effective as it also significantly reduced decay development during subsequent simulated retail display.
by TransFresh®
Salinas, California – TransFresh Corporation, innovator and marketer of the highly regarded Tectrol® Modified Atmosphere Systems and Tectrol® Storage Solutions™, has announced that its award-winning comic strip hero, Captain Tectrol, will return in the company’s 2016 marketing campaign to once again “save the day for fresh berries.”
In the new advertising campaign launching in key trade publications recently, Captain Tectrol will bring his unique brand of superhero powers to protect fresh strawberries in transit and on-shelf against the evils of decay as well as extend the storage clock for fresh blueberries.
Captain Tectrol was first introduced almost a decade ago to offer a novel look at the features and benefits of Tectrol atmospheres and solutions. The illustrated ads were originally created for TransFresh by Full Steam Marketing and Design based in Salinas, CA and were the recipient of key marketing industry honors.
In its updated iteration, Captain Tectrol finds himself in a series of story vignettes where he brings his mighty powers to protect berry quality in a variety of situations fighting various villains, including his arch nemesis, Dr. Shrink.
TransFresh director Rich Macleod stated that Captain Tectrol’s comeback is a mix between nostalgia and taking a fresh look at how Tectrol Modified Atmosphere Solutions contribute to the marketability of fresh berry products. “We’re delighted to bring Captain Tectrol back as the 21st Century high-tech superhero who battles evil to protect the goodness of fresh berry products,” he said. “No matter how difficult the challenge, Captain Tectrol prevails to safeguard quality.”
About TransFresh®
TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol pallet and storage systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as the industry standard. For more information, please visit www.transfresh.com.
Happy New Year and welcome to 2016!
It has been a memorable year for HaulProduce.com We’ll be noting, if not celebrating our 4th anniversary on January 12th, of providing you the most up to date information on hauling fresh fruits and vegetables as well as issues surrounding fresh produce that may affect you.
We posted our 1300th item on December 18th. Those taking advantage of our free subscription continues to grow. This is where you are automatically notified of new postings. We have now surpassed 350 subscribers.
I want to thank my sponsors, all of whom I’ve personally known 20 years or more. All of them represent the highest standards of honesty and integrity, and truly care not only about their customers, but the men and women behind the wheel of the big rigs that keep this nation moving.
There is Allen Lund and Kenny Lund (Allen Lund Company), Fred Plotsky (Cool Runnings) and Jimmy DeMatteis (Des Moines Truck Brokers). If you are an owner operator, small fleet owner or some other type of long haul carrier, you are in good hands with these folks.
TransFresh is another sponsor, but of a different nature. When you click on their ad it can open a lot of doors to valuable information for those involved with transporting perishables. Rich Macleod of TransFresh has a soft spot for the hard work ethic and the issues facing produce truckers, and he understands and appareciates the vital role they play.
The challenge of not only finding produce loads, but being paid a fair freight rate, is just the start. Delivering that perishable product from point A to point B in a timely fashion, and in good condition can be equally as challenging. Hopefully, through HaulProduce.com we can play a small part in making your business more successful.
In the meantime, here is wishing you a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2016 – and of course, safe travels. God Bless. —Bill Martin
A key to success is the advancement and modernization of equipment, whether talking long haul trucking or in this case, the machines that ready pallets with trays of strawberries, protected by the Tectrol CO2 process.
Tectrol is a patented process held by TransFresh Corporation in Salinas, CA.
TransFresh has what it calls a modified squeeze which effectively allows the company to increase the productivity of its conveyor system at packing facilities. Now research is being conducted to use the squeeze system in the field, according to Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division, for TransFresh.
“An older model can produce 45 to 55 pallets per hour across that machine,” Macleod says. “With the double down version, we’ve significantly modified the squeeze portion. We’ve also added mechanisms that square the pallet. We’ve changed the conveyor roll on so they are able to produce 55 to 65 pallets per hour.”
Continuing, Macleod notes there also are programs allowing machine operators to stop and back up the pallets on the system when trouble shooting is needed. This allows the problem to be quickly addressed.
In general, it (the system) is faster. So all of this is good for the produce haulers. The boxes on the pallets are more squared than ever and this reduces chances of shifting (of the load) even more. It also protects the strawberries, providing a better seal. Perhaps most important is it helps to speed loading onto the truck, reducing the wait times at the dock by the drivers,” Macleod says.
In 2014 TransFresh Corporation introduced the Tectrol Storage Solution utilizing BreatheWay Technology by California produce company Apio to provide more reliable storage for fresh blueberries. While the produce trucker hauling these berries may never see the process, that driver should benefit from it.
Rich Macleod, TransFresh vice president, pallet division, based in Salinas, CA, says, “There’s a reason we call it a storage solution….blueberry growers store their blueberries (in a controlled atmosphere bag) prior to shipping. The storage bag is removed before being shipped.”
He adds the bag is dynamically different from modified atmosphere for which TransFresh has built a name with strawberries.
Macleod points out blueberries after harvest are sometimes stored as long as four to six weeks as a way of balancing the market.
“To the driver that means that load will be available on a scheduled basis,” Macleod relates. “For example, he will know he needs to be in the Northwest every Tuesday to pick up six pallets of blueberries. It won’t be this frantic thing like picking up and delivering strawberries or cherries.”
Additionally, Macleod sees the Storage Solution as reducing the chances of quality problems at destination, which could lead to claims or deductions from the freight rate.
“When the market is orderly, that’s good for everybody,” he says.
Looking to the future, Macleod notes they are starting to solve the blueberry storage solutions for international transportation. If the shipper is an exporter, when those berries are loaded into a 40-f00t sea van, the product is placed in a controlled atmosphere. He also sees the day when this could be applicable for blueberries and other items being imported to by US companies from countries such as Chile and Peru.
“I don’t see this replacing containers,, but it could certainly impact the number of containers used. I see them being used side by side,” he says.
In the controlled atmosphere systems there is a device that records the atmosphere for the entire container. However, Macleod sees this being cost prohibitive to something like that in each pallet. However, there is research being conducted in this area.
By TransFresh Corporation
TransFresh® Corporation of Salinas, CA has announced that usage has expanded for its high velocity Tectrol® application systems, recently placed in multiple cooler locations ahead of peak Strawberry production, increasing efficiency and throughput for berries bound for US and Canadian markets.
According to TransFresh, the specialized equipment systems facilitate the proficient application and sealing of poly sheeting in a seamless and reliable operation, meeting significantly higher demand for Tectrol. TransFresh and its Tectrol Modified Atmosphere Packaging systems are best known industry-wide for adding a level of protection to help ensure the quality and marketability of fresh berry products throughout the supply chain.
Every step of the Tectrol process is happening simultaneously with the high velocity systems: gripping and lifting pallet cartons to apply bottom sheeting, installing and sealing bags and adding beneficial atmospheres to immediately trigger the slowing of senescence.
According to Rich Macleod, vice president, TransFresh, the high-performance method substantially increases the number of Tectrol pallets processed per hour, increasing the total volume of Tectrol strawberries that move through each cooler facility. “In sum,” he stated, “the TransFresh investment in research, equipment development and installation has resulted in greater efficiency and throughput as well as enhanced sealing efficacy.”
Macleod further stated that the continuing strong interest in Tectrol Modified Atmosphere Packaging systems was spurred by a comprehensive research initiative conducted by two leading academic postharvest departments under the US Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Project with the mission to increase the consumption of specialty crops, such as strawberries, through enhanced quality and safety. Under the project, teams from the University of California at Davis and the University of Florida jointly evaluated the efficacy of pallet cover systems to maintain strawberry fruit quality during commercial shipment. Findings concluded that “transporting strawberries in the sealed TransFresh Tectrol pallet cover system in which CO2 concentrations were elevated at consistent levels was most effective in complementing low temperature management practices to reduce decay and maintain fruit quality.” The research, Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry Fruit Quality during Transit (HortTechnology, Aug. 2012), also concluded that after a two-day shelf life, fruit from the Tectrol pallets achieved “significantly less decay” than other systems evaluated.
Macleod concluded that the development and installation of the high performance equipment system at these multiple cooling locations is the result of TransFresh’s commitment to support the berry trade as a whole by fulfilling its fundamental mission to protect berry quality.
About TransFresh®
TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol pallet systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as an industry standard. For more information, visit www.transfresh.com.
It has been nearly three decades since TransFresh Corporation’s Rich Macleod created the Fresh Produce Mixer & Loading Guide and he still receives requests for 100 or more of the guides each year.
The guide continues to be a useful tool in preventing the transporting of incompatible fruits and vegetables, which can result in the loss of product quality, and even lead to claims or rejected loads.
Over the years Macleod believes increased knowledge of what produce items mix well together during transit has contributed to reducing problems with refrigerated produce loads arriving at destination – particularly on longer hauls. As stated on the guide, “Some items may tolerate less than perfect conditions for short periods (less than two days). Produce mix and temperature becomes critical with longer transit times.”
However, despite all of the information available on the topic, problems with arrivals of product at destination due to incompatibility of the produce on board still occurs.
“They (shippers) know if there is a load that is 90 percent head lettuce and there is a pallet of apples in the trailer, that is not good,” Macleod says. But sometimes chances are taken with incompatible items, especially if the transit time is not very long.
“The sensitivity of what does and doesn’t go on a load has really improved in the last five years,” Macleod notes.
He adds there are more larger carriers hauling produce and they are becoming more sophisticated with what to put in the trailer on mixed loads. He laments there seems to be fewer independent owner operator than in the past doing long haul trucking.
Macleod sees more shippers using their own brand on many fruits and vegetables, and they have become more particular how these products are loaded and transported because their name or brand is on the box.
He points out when a produce hauler picks up product in a warmer climate, there usually is a lot of activity, because a lot of produce is being moved. This increases the chance the product may not have been pre-cooled. While Macleod does not see this as a huge problems, he notes it still does happen.
“The primary protection for the driver (and receiver) is they know the pulp temperature of the product going into the trailer,” Macleod says.
Since Macleod works a lot with strawberry shipments, particularly through TransFresh’s Techtrol program, he is seeing less resistance to the driver being provided pulp temperature information on product just being load. He isn’t sure if it is a major problem with other produce commodities.
‘In the packaged vegetable industry they (shippers) clearly don’t want the driver punching a hole in it, but there is a way to do it. But it’s incredibly important to what that (pulp) temperature is going into the trailer,” Macleod stresses. “It impacts how much demand is going to be put on your reefer unit, the quality of the product, and it can impact the chances of rejected loads.”
Even if the driver did not observe the loading, he can still alert the customer (receiver) while still at the dock, if he notices the product is three to four degrees warmer than it should be.
(This is the fourth in a five-part series featuring an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp., Salinas, CA. He has been with the company since 1976, and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)