In anticipation of its supplemental orchard bearing fruit — or in this case nuts — Green Valley Pecan Co., is constructing a refrigerated warehouse and additional processing facility.
The 40,000-square-foot warehouse will have truck docks, office space and utility rooms.
The company planted nursery trees on 3,000 acres at its auxiliary San Simon orchard in Cochise County several years ago and the trees are nearing first production.
Pecan trees typically take seven to 10 years to produce their first nuts, then become annual producers.
“Green Valley Pecan Company is preparing for future growth with the construction of this warehouse,” said Scott Spicer, the company’s project manager. “The structure will have over a 50-year life span, signaling our commitment to the community, this industry, and our customers.”
The company has about 4,600 acres of trees in Green Valley and processes up to 30 million pounds of in-shell nuts every year. The harvest season is December and January then the trees go dormant, said Bruce Caris, chief operating officer.
The majority of the mature trees are nearly 50 years old with an unknown lifespan, he said.
“A lot comes down to good agricultural processes,” Caris said. “We prune the trees, we keep the size off so the tree doesn’t get too big and too weary.”
The Green Valley Pecan Co. earned a top grade in food safety from the British Retail Consortium.
Pecan pieces are sold domestically for candy, ice cream and baked goods. In-shell nuts are exported to more than 20 destinations, including Europe, the Middle East, Japan, South Korea and China.
New Chinese tariffs have impacted pecan farmers as rates have gone from 7 percent in January to 47 percent this past week, Caris said.
Fortunately, he added, the majority of Green Valley Pecan’s exports go to Europe and only a small amount to China.
“We don’t sell a whole lot to China, but we think it’s important to do everything we can to get these tariffs to go away,” Caris said. “It’s not good for famers.”
Green Valley Pecan has more than 300 employees.
The retail store, at 1625 E. Sahuarita Road, will remain open during construction and detour signs will direct customers to the temporary parking lot.
The Nov. 10 Pecan Festival will still be held.
Visit greenvalleypecan.com for more information.
