Mission Produce, Inc., a leader in the sourcing, production and distribution of fresh Hass avocados, has announced the inauguration of its new state-of-the-art packing facility in Guatemala. This milestone expands the company's vertically integrated global supply network to serve avocados to international markets year-round.

To celebrate, the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on April 24, 2025. It was attended by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo and U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley, marking a significant moment in the country's emergence as a key player in global avocado production.

“Our strategic investment in Guatemala elevates our position as a global leader in the worldwide avocado business and year-round supplier of the World's Finest Avocados™,” said Steve Barnard, CEO.

The director noted that Guatemala offers excellent value to its diversified sourcing strategy, being a premium growing region with abundant resources, optimal harvest timing, and a centralized geographic position. With two annual harvests, Guatemala fills supply gaps during key periods of the year, enhancing the company's ability to meet growing global demand for avocados.

"Our new facility will enable us to meet demand more efficiently with greater quality control for customers in the UK,

Tobin Bradley, the U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, commented, “The U.S. market is hungry for avocados. The demand is there, and with continued collaboration and high standards, Guatemala is in a position to take advantage of this great economic opportunity.”

Anticipated to launch in August 2025, Mission's Guatemala packinghouse is engineered for peak performance, the company said in a release. The facility features the latest quality assurance and food safety technology, including precision temperature management and automated grading and sorting systems, designed to maintain fruit integrity and promote the long-lasting quality of avocados from Guatemala.

The facility is designed to facilitate postharvest handling, meeting the highest phytosanitary, quality, and trade standards of every destination market.

“Guatemala is a rising force in the global avocado industry, and Mission Produce is leading the development of the region for global avocado production,” said Juan Rodolfo Wiesner, President of Mission Produce, South and Central America. “Modeling the success of our vertical integration in Peru, our farming and packing operations in Guatemala are built to produce high-quality avocados from the ground up. In addition, our team has spent several years building relationships with the local grower base, leveraging our extensive experience as a global distributor to increase the acceptance of avocados from Guatemala to global markets.”

Mission Produce first established vertical integration and farming operations in the country in 2020 with the long-term lease of the Cerro Redondo avocado farm. As of the end of Mission’s fiscal 2024, the Company had planted 728 hectares of land, with expectations to plant up to 1,000 hectares and reach full production by 2026.