Spilling the beans on collapsible IBCs

摘要

By shipping 2,000 pounds of dried beans in collapsible, corrugated IBCs instead of 100-pound bags, L. A. Hearne Co. cuts labor by half, ups handling efficiency and reduces materials usage. Headquartered in King City, CA, at the southern end of the Salinas Valley in Monterey County, CA, the L.A. Hearne Co. was founded in 1938 to handle, process and market locally grown crops of dry beans and grain. Initially, the company handled dry-bean classes, such as pink, pinto small whites and cranberry beans. In the 1950s, large lima (butter) beans were introduced and have since been the company's main variety. Large limas, with quality to make it to the canning industry, grow almost exclusively in the coastal valleys of California, from San Jose to Orange County. According to Francis Giudici, president of the family-owned business and a grandson of its founder, "It is common for beans produced in other states to be commingled as they are harvested. Not so here. It has been our practice for decades to keep each grower's product separate. This offers us the ability to produce higher, more consistent quality."