RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – Starbucks celebrated yesterday the grand opening of a new state-of-the art Evolution Fresh juicery in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif that will quadruple the brand’s production of cold-pressed, never-heated juice, featuring the most advanced technology, including High Pressure Processing (HPP) machines.
Since its acquisition of the brand in Nov of 2011, Evolution Fresh has exceeded its aggressive growth plans to be in more than 8,000 Starbucks and grocery retailers by the end of calendar year 2013.
This innovative juicery will enable the company to grow market share in the $1.6 billion super-premium juice industry.
“The opening of this juicery marks a significant milestone in Evolution Fresh’s history and commitment to making high-quality, never-heated, nutritious juice available to consumers across the country,” said Chris Bruzzo, general manager, Evolution Fresh.
“We believe cold pressed is the future of juice and we are leading the charge in changing the way people think about juice. Today marks a significant milestone in our mission to provide accessible nutrition and a new way for people to experience fruits and vegetables and natural foods in their everyday diet.”
The $70 million, 264,000 sq. ft. juicery, one of the largest (in $ sales) HPP juiceries in the U.S. capable of sourcing, peeling, squeezing and pressing raw fruits and vegetables, will produce four times more than the original juicery.
Using state-of-the-art technology, including multiple HPP machines with ample room for more, the new juicery allows the brand to significantly increase innovation, production and distribution capacity.
“The produce used in Evolution Fresh juices are sourced locally when attainable, making Rancho Cucamonga the ideal location for providing fresh tasting, nutrient-rich juice.
The proximity to where fruits and vegetables are grown reduces transportation time and allows for high level of nutrient retention.” noted Bruzzo.
The new facility will employ 190 employees (partners), which includes retaining nearly 100 percent of our original partners from the old juicery as well as creating 65 new positions.
It will be Starbucks’ sixth manufacturing site in the U.S., adding to the company’s existing network of five roasting plants in Kent, Wash., York, Pa., Sandy Run, S.C., Carson Valley, Nev. and Augusta, Ga.
“We believe it is important, and makes good business sense, to significantly invest in U.S. manufacturing.
By building this new facility from the ground up, close to where our produce grows, we are not only able to provide nutritious juice, but also support the local community.” said Bruzzo.
High Pressure Processing (HPP)* is a method that utilizes a high level of isostatic pressure, transmitted by water. HPP delivers more of the flavors and nutrients of raw fruits and vegetables than traditional heat pasteurized juices at an accessible price and permits a longer shelf life than raw juices allowing more consumers access to high-quality cold-pressed and squeezed juice.
Source: Starbucks
