ADVANCEMENTS THROUGHWG’S TECH CENTER In addition to fulfilling its core mission to help companies in the perishables supply chain harness the power of collaboration and make conducting business with each other easier, iTradeNetwork has recently taken steps to expand its own network. In April 2017, the agtech company joined the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology in Salinas, CA to dialogue and collaborate with other tech firms who look to solve ag-related challenges. “It’s great to be part of a group that’s passionate about both agriculture and technology, in the heart of one of the world’s most prolific growing regions,” said Cardenas. The iTradeNetwork team has taken full advantage of the wealth of resources the Center has to offer and in the last few years, the company has been able to develop and launch many new applications and capabilities. This includes a re-platforming of its traceability suite; the creation of iTradeFresh, iTradeFreight and the iTradeMarketplace partner discovery portal; and the buildout of iTradeOrder,
its new procurement application for independent and regional retailers/ distributors. Since joining the WGCIT, iTradeNetwork has also surpassed 8,000 trading partners on the network and is closing in on the 10,000 mark. “We recognize the agricultural industry faces increasing consumer, regulatory, and
competitive pressures, and we’re really pleased and consider it a privilege to partner with Western Growers, who also recognizes that and supports technology as an innovative force to tackle these challenges,” Cardenas said. “Networks are important in general, in many walks of life. This is a great one to be a part of.”
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SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2020
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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