The melon challenges
Prior to engaging with Maersk, the supply chain of Exportadora Atlantico S.A lacked service reliability, visibility, and control.
On the origin side, occasional rolling of cargo, various terminal issues, and even vehicular accidents resulted in deviations from transport plans and ability to meet their customer commitments.
At destination, complexities with customs clearances, agricultural inspections, equipment availability, cold storage capacity, and truck availability impeded the smooth flow of the fruit. Furthermore, coordination of different providers and processes for each different consignee made solving problems very challenging for the small administrative team.
The release of control for their hard-grown fruit early in the delivery chain resulted in eight types of unpredictable charges, and had a number of adverse effects on Exportadora Atlantico’s business.
These included food waste, destruction cost, exposure to demurrage charges, chargebacks from retail customers, and diminished quality and consignment value of the melon’s they’d worked so hard to produce. These challenges are being significantly addressed and eased with the new solution.
Furthermore, our investments in cold storage assets will enable the next evolution in increasing fruit quality & reducing cost. We will provide other value-added services including provide quality control, packing/bagging and retail distribution on behalf of the customer
About Exportadora Atlantico S.A
Exportadora Atlantico S.A is a melon grower in Guatemala. The company is headquartered in Asuncion Mita, Guatemala and employs just 5 administrative staff, but over 200 workers in the melon fields and packing facility.
Exportadora Atlantico S.A export an average of 25,800 tons of melons, or 1200 Reefers per annum, to importers and wholesalers in the US. These wholesalers then prepare and distribute the produce to retailers.
