Hazel Technologies expands to West Coast with Fresno operation

Hazel Technologies Inc., a USDA-funded technology company delivering new solutions for fresh produce to extend shelf-life, increase sales, and combat food waste, announced Nov. 17 its first major corporate expansion beyond its Chicago headquarters – a new Fresno, California, research center and West Coast customer support office located adjacent to Fresno’s Yosemite International Airport.

The announcement of the strategic Central Valley hub follows Hazel Technologies’ recent $70 million Series C funding round.

Producing roughly 25% of the United States’ food supply, California’s Central Valley is one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions and home to many of Hazel Technologies’ customers. The new west coast hub and research center will help service increasing customer demand and further advance the research and development of new technologies and solutions.

Hazel’s recognition among a rapidly expanding customer base of over 250 commercial agribusinesses has been echoed by agriculture industry observers; the company was recently recognized a 2021 “Tech Pioneer” by the World Economic Forum and was one of Fast Company magazine’s “World Changing Ideas” in 2020.

“Planting Hazel’s flag in California’s produce-rich Central Valley is a milestone moment for our company,” Adam Preslar, co-founder and CTO of Hazel Technologies, said in a news release. “But even as we grow, our focus remains the same: customer-centric innovation which results in lower waste and higher profits for our customers.”

Indeed, Hazel is on track to treat 6.3 billion pounds of fresh produce in 2021, saving over 500 million pounds of produce from going to waste. Currently working with over 250 of the world’s biggest food producers across 12 countries, Hazel’s new state of the art facility will continue its focus its research on crops such as avocados, grapes, cherries and over fifteen other produce items sold every day on retail shelves across the world.

The company has already started an aggressive recruitment push to staff the new West Coast facility. The new office will house a wide range of personnel including scientists, R&D, and commercial team members.

Hazel Technologies is a USDA-funded startup company that develops new solutions to extend the quality shelf life of fresh produce and reduce food waste. Founded in 2015, Hazel Tech services over 160 of the world’s largest fresh produce packers, shippers, and retailers.

Selected as a Finalist for Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas and winner of “Best Sustainable Packaging” at the 2020 World Food Innovation Awards, the company’s patent-pending technologies have been tested by top academic research programs.

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