Automation boosts supply chain efficiency for LGS's mandarins

Citrus importer LGS Specialty Sales is anticipating a boost in consumer demand for W. Murcott and Tango mandarins as the back-to-school season approaches. The firm, which sources mandarins from Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Morocco, and South Africa, is entering seasonal transition.

"We expect to see movement and demand to pick up for sure," noted Lucio Rainelli, LGS Director of Sales. 

The executive also highlighted the role of the company's recent integration of S&L Cold Storage in maintaining quality and supply during peak seasons. Adding advanced grader and automation processes has enabled the firm to deliver "more consistent products at higher capacities, helping meet increased consumer demand."

"The grader itself has given us control, and the automation we have put into place with the grader allows for a more consistent final product," Rainelli added. "It enables us to pack more fruit to better align with demand."

High standards to ensure high quality

To ensure quality and flavor consistency across multiple Southern Hemisphere sources, LGS adheres to strict specifications shared with new suppliers. These include minimum Brix levels, ratios, and size windows, with ongoing standards enforced through partnerships with growers.

"If you promote or make sure to hold growers and partners to internal standards to do the best possible job, you're ensuring consistency," Rainelli explained.

Looking ahead, LGS is investing in automation to improve efficiency across its supply chain. Recent efforts include the addition of automatic palletizers at S&L Cold Storage, moving the company even further from manual labor and toward streamlined operations. This, says the executive, should improve multiple aspects of the supply chain.

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