September/October 2021 - 22

PROFILES
GAB OPERATIONS
Chatting with GAB Operations
PRODUCE LEADERS TALK COLD CHAIN, TRACEABILITY
AND BUILDING A NEW FACILITY
JAIME USABIAGA AND MIGUEL USABIAGA rarely give
By JD Boone
Contributing writer
interviews. The president and vice president, respectively,
of international produce distributor GAB
Operations are far too busy building
their family business that was founded
in Guanajuato, Mexico, more than three
decades ago.
GAB, which operates under the brand
names Mr. Lucky and Covemex, specializes
in the production, development, marketing
and distribution of fresh and frozen
vegetables and fruits. Products are exported
around the world via three facilities in
Mexico and two in Texas.
Since 1996, most of their produce coming
JD Boone: What have been some of the challenges
associated with cold storage/cold chain during
your career?
Miguel Usabiaga: One of the biggest challenges is working
with limited refrigeration capacity or poorly
designed warehouses. Keeping the cold chain
and improving efficiencies on cold chain
management is an investment and not an
expense. We have learned over the years that
having a well-designed cold facility makes a
big difference in efficiencies and quality of
the product being handled.
JD: How did those problems impact
product integrity?
JD Boone
into the U.S. has traveled through their small
Laredo facility, but last year, the brothers decided to pursue a
new facility to handle increased demand. They commissioned
A M King to design and build a new cold storage distribution
center in Laredo, scheduled to be finished in October. It's a
great partnership and now that the pandemic is loosening
its grip, the A M King team was pleased to recently meet
the Usabiagas in Laredo for a candid discussion about the
cold chain, food safety compliance/traceability, employee
welfare and, of course, the new facility.
JD Boone is not only managing construction of the project,
but also stepped up as a pinch-hit reporter. The following
are some excerpts from their conversation:
20 SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2 0 21
Miguel: If you don't maintain the fresh or
frozen product at the proper temperature,
you're going to lose the highest level of quality. In the
past, controlling the cold chain was seen as an expense,
rather than an investment. What we've found is that every
dollar that you spend on making sure you have prime
refrigeration systems, premium doors and top-of-theline
equipment, makes a big difference in preserving the
integrity of your products.
Pursuit of a new facility
JD: In terms of facility design and product flow, what
were your primary areas of concern and priorities you
wanted to address with your new facility?

September/October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2021

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