Los Gatos Tomato Products secured a grant from the California Energy Commission totaling more than $4.6 million – the largest grant approved in the recently announced Food Production Investment Program slate of awards.
The funding will be matched by the company to support the acquisition and installation of a new THOR pre-evaporator system at the Huron, California processing facility to enhance the current system. “The investment demonstrates our commitment to growing and processing tomatoes in the most productive tomato growing region in the world. It’s a competitive advantage for us and we are always looking at ways we can maintain our signature high-quality while using fewer resources,” said Los Gatos Managing Partner Stuart Woolf. “Evaporation is a fundamental processing step – this investment will allow us to be more efficient”, Woolf continued.
The company expects to break ground on the installation of the new system in January in preparation for the 2024 processing season.
“This award is a reflection of our commitment on behalf of our grower-owners to our customers and our industry,” said Dan Green, chief executive officer. “This investment will have a significant impact on our ability to leverage improved technologies to provide greater efficiency, flexibility and options to our customers while enjoying reduced energy costs and water usage and lower GHG emissions.”
