Interko eyes North American ripening opportunities

INTERKO, the leading manufacturer of profitable ripening solutions for the global fresh fruit industry, is planning to expand its presence on the North American market on the back of growing business in the USA.The innovative Dutch company is eager to bring the benefits of its state-of-the-art, energy-efficient and cost-saving technology to retailers, importers, distributors or wholesalers ripening bananas, tropicals and other fruits in the USA, Canada and Mexico.In addition, Interko is actively seeking reliable installation partners in Canada and Mexico to join its network of preferred installers.To spread the message, Interko will exhibit on Booth 6043 together with its USA-based turnkey solution provider Advanced Ripening Technologies (ART)at this week’s PMA Fresh Summit on 19-21 October in New Orleans.Interko and ART invite any company to schedule a meeting or visit Booth 6043 to discuss how the duo can solve bespoke ripening requirements and raise profitability."Europe is a step ahead of the curve when it comes to fresh fruit ripening insight and technology at the moment” explains Interko's Managing Director/Partner Chris Maat, who will be present at the trade show."There have been numerous developments on the European market that we believe will be beneficial to the way companies large or small manage their ripening processes in the USA, Canada and Mexico.""As a ripening specialist and service-orientated company, Interko has much to offer North America in the way of modern, sophisticated and efficient solutions."Interko uses cutting-edge equipment and control technologies to manufacture the highest quality, user-friendly and reliable ripening rooms on the market. Its energy-efficient, reversible fans can cut energy costs by up to 50% compared with other brands. All solutions are tailor-made to each customer.North American developmentsAdvanced Ripening Technologies is Interko's long-standing partner in the USA, and, together, the duo are busy rolling out new projects with major fresh produce organisations.As well as expanding its USA footprint, Interko sees clear potential to improve the fruit ripening facilities used by both the domestic and export trades in Mexico and Canada."Mexico is a huge consumer market of 150 million people, plus it’s a supply nation with a strong focus on exports" points out Chris."We see opportunities in Mexico to upgrade the ripening technology currently used for avocados and exotics in particular"."To realise this potential, Interko is looking for long-term partnerships with professional installers in Mexico and Canada too" Chris adds.Interko's product rangeCurrently, Interko offers two types of ripening rooms; the high-capacity ULTIMO for bananas, and the AXESSO for the precision ripening of smaller volumes of mangoes, avocados, stonefruit and even pears.The ULTIMO room is designed to efficiently and evenly ripen large volumes of bananas, while the AXESSO is unique in its random access capability which offers the flexibility to shift between ripening different fruits to their individual ready-to-eat stage.Both rooms can be fitted with Interko’s revolutionary REVERSO reversible fans, which deliver considerable cost savings as they consume less than 100 watts of electricity per pallet at full airflow, or much less depending on external influences.Interko’s REVERSO fans offer the added value of benefitting the quality of the fruit being ripened since they generate better air quality and a gentler environment for the fruit which improves the whole ripening cycle.Meet Interko or ARTPMA Fresh SummitBooth 604319-21 OctoberNew Orleans, USAAbout InterkoInterko is the global leader for the design, manufacture and installation of cost-effective, high quality and low-maintenance ripening rooms for fresh fruit, and cooling systems for the horticulture sector. Founded 50 years ago, Interko develops precise, advanced and energy-efficient systems that are built to last. Since its creation Interko has installed over 6,000 ripening rooms for bananas, avocados, mangoes, papayas and tomatoes – the earliest of which are still in operation and performing well today. Every year Interko installs around 200 ripening rooms. For more information about Interko, visit:www.interko.comTo schedule a meeting at PMA Fresh Summit, please contact: Chris MaatTel: +31 (0)79 593 2581info@interko.comShane PitmanTel: +1 800 836 654shane@advancedripening.com