Port CEO & Director Kristin Decas and officials from Del Monte, Ports America, A.R. Savage and Son LLC and Moran Shipping Agencies welcomed the March 19 arrival of Del Monte Valiant. A second ship, the Del Monte Harvester, is expected to arrive in the coming days.
“Del Monte is our longest-standing customer at the port,” Oxnard Harbor District President Jason T. Hodge said in a statement. “This development shows 42 years of cooperation and collaboration between Del Monte and the Port of Hueneme, and we look forward to many more years of success.”
The pair is part of a new fleet of six, capable of carrying 1,276 TEUs with 634 plugs to accommodate 40-foot-tall, temperature-controlled cube reefer units. They are also equipped with a Hybrid Scrubber system.
“We have been working towards this goal since 2017 and could not be more excited to see it come to fruition,” said Helmuth Lutty, Senior Vice President of Shipping Operations for Fresh Del Monte Produce. “As one of the world’s leading producer, marketer and distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables, we have set a very high bar for all the reefer containers and ships in our fleet. These six new vessels set the bar even higher, and allow us to deliver the high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables we are known for while meeting our sustainability goals.”