TRADE ASSOCIATE MEMBER UPDATE

EVERGLADES HARVESTING & HAULING, INC.

Doing it all for the grove owner

FFVA Trade Associate Member Everglades Harvesting and Hauling assists citrus growers with many phases of their business including caretaking, harvesting, marketing and hauling.

Paul Meador is vice president of the LaBelle area company, which grows about 3,000 acres and harvests about 12,000 acres of citrus in Southwest Florida.

“We got into the caretaking, harvesting and hauling business to be sure our own crops were cared for in a timely manner, but also most importantly to make sure that things were done safely so we didn’t incur any additional liability,” Meador said.

Initially, Meador said, the operation was created to primarily do the company's own work, but over time the business expanded. “Today, our own business represents only about 25 percent of the harvesting, hauling and caretaking work we do. About 75 percent is for others.”

Everglades Harvesting & Hauling takes care large and small operations from Highlands County southward. During harvesting season, December through June, it employs nearly 400 people.

“We can do everything, or we can do just one thing,” Meador said. That includes marketing, irrigation, speed spraying, herbicide application, mowing, mechanical maintenance, harvesting – including mechanical harvesting – and hauling fruit to the grove owners’ destination.

“One of the things we consistently focus on is trust,” said Meador. “And we spend an inordinate amount of time and money making sure we’re one of the safest operators in the state of Florida.” The company continually updates its equipment, and every employee from citrus packers to managers goes through extensive safety training. “They’re very conscientious people to begin with, but we put an added emphasis on the importance of safety,” Meador said.

To learn more about Everglades Harvesting & Hauling, visit the company's Web site or give them a call at (863) 675-8500. You can also reach Meador via e-mail.