North Bay Produce Welcomes Largest Single Day Shipment Yet at MidAmerica

250,000 lbs of Blueberries From South America Arrive in on Two Separate Flights from South America Dec. 9

MASCOUTAH, ILL., December 10, 2013 . . . North Bay Produce, Inc. today announced the largest international air shipment of produce yet to land at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was received on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013 at its newly expanded facility at the airport. This shipment continues air cargo movements through MidAmerica on the emerging trade lane between the Americas and Asia. Recently, North Bay Produce expanded its footprint at MidAmerica from 36,000 sq. ft. to 53,000 sq. ft., paving the way for its operations there to handle the larger shipments. North Bay’s facility also was recently certified as a cold treatment facility by the USDA, which enables North Bay to store fruit at 32 degrees Fahrenheit for 11 days under the supervision of the USDA for the mitigation of unwanted pests.

North Bay’s operations at MidAmerica are key in its overall plans to open the Asian trade lane that is integral to the company’s future growth. This particular shipment of blueberries originated in Santiago, Chile and was flown into MidAmerica by Centurion Cargo on two separate flights, a 747-400 that landed at 3:30 p.m. Monday afternoon and an MD11 that arrived in late yesterday evening. The total load consisted of 113,000 Kilos of blueberries, or roughly 250,000 pounds, and was cleared by Customs and Border Protection Port (CBP) 4581 Officials. Port 4581 is the designation for MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Port under the umbrella of St. Louis Port Director Joseph Lanzante. Ground shipments from around North America have been processed through the North Bay Produce facility at MidAmerica since July 2012. Those shipments have been by surface and from within the USA, British Columbia and Mexico.

North Bay Produce President Mark Girardin commented on the significance of the flights, noting that the freight on board the aircraft is valued at approximately $1.3 million. ”These blueberries are arriving just in time for retail Christmas promotions throughout the United States and Canada,” stated Girardin. “North Bay is very thankful for the support that Chairman Kern, his board and St. Clair County have given this project as we incrementally grow the business one step at a time. In addition we would like to thank Director Cantwell and the team at MidAmerica for their dedication to growth and continued support of our company as we grow the business.”

North Bay Welcomes Largest Shipment of Produce Yet at MidAmerica First and Final Add
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern said, “This is another great step for North Bay Produce and we heartily support their business efforts. Their new and growing workforce are a pleasure to have in our community. Their influence at the airport and the region grows daily. We are extremely pleased to have them call us their partner as they reach world markets on flights into and out of MidAmerica.”

North Bay Produce, Inc. is an international, grower-owned, year-round, fresh produce marketing and distribution cooperative, headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan. The company’s 29 stockholders are located The United States, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
HISTORY: Wilderness Fresh Produce was established in 1984 as a division of Cherry Central Cooperative, Inc. to market fresh Michigan apples, asparagus and prune plums for several of its members. In order to meet growing retail demand for year-round fresh produce, the company began importing product from Latin America in 1986 to expand its existing supply base. Due to the success of these programs, Wilderness and its Latin American partners formed North Bay Produce, Inc. in 1991. For more information, visit www.northbayproduce.com

About MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located in Mascoutah, Illinois, in the eastern portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Major multimodal rail and inland port centers are located within 22 miles of the airport, which also enjoys easy access to five interstate highways via I-64. With parallel runways of 8,000 and 10,000 feet, the airport can handle simultaneous take-offs and landings in all conditions, minimizing delays. It has an annual capacity of 200,000 operations. Current tenants include North Bay Produce, Inc., Boeing , and AVMATS, which has been providing alternatives for the support and maintenance of corporate aircraft at MidAmerica for almost a decade. MidAmerica is a Joint Use Airport partnering with Scott AFB, the home to US Transportation Command, a multi service organization, and Air Mobility Command, the USAF’s component command for airlift. MidAmerica and the 375th Air Mobility Wing operate Scott AFB/MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. For more information, visit www.flymidamerica.com.