Produce company plans $3M expansion in South McAllen

A produce importer and distributor is planning a $3 million expansion of its South McAllen facility, adding roughly 25,000 square feet to an operation that handles fresh fruits and vegetables.

Chula Brand plans to expand its existing facility at 5125 Honduras Ave., according to a new project filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Construction is scheduled to begin Oct. 5 and be completed by June 4, 2027. The privately funded project is described in the filing as the fourth phase of the facility’s expansion.

The state filing lists the overall project at 27,000 square feet, while its scope of work says the existing facility will be expanded by approximately 25,000 square feet. It does not specify how the additional space will be used or whether the project will create jobs.

The expansion would add to a South McAllen operation Chula Brand uses to import, repack and distribute fresh produce.

The company specializes in fresh fruits and vegetables, including papayas, pineapples and limes. Its operations connect produce grown and packed in Mexico with customers in the United States and elsewhere in North America.

The company has previously described its McAllen facility as an important part of that distribution network, where products can be received, sorted, repacked and prepared for customers.

The new project is privately funded on private property. The filing lists Aagrico 5125 Honduras Ave. LLC as the property owner, with Juan Carlos Martinez as the contact.

Zuko Industrial Construction of Pharr is listed as the design firm.

The filing does not identify a tenant or say whether the expansion will increase Chula Brand’s storage, repacking or distribution capacity.