Western Fumigation Team Strengthens Chilean Industry Relationships and Community Connections

Western Fumigation leadership and industry partners traveled to Chile in August to strengthen relationships throughout the country’s fresh fruit industry, prepare for the upcoming 2026-27 export season and explore opportunities for continued collaboration and innovation.

The week-long trip brought together people from across brands and companies, including Christina Lista, International Business Development Manager, and Len Fodera, General Manager from Western Fumigation. Todd Henches, Regional Manager for Western Pest Services, and Dr. Shannon Sked, National Director for Orkin Technical, were also in attendance. Rounding out the attendees were Miguel Cea, President of Ag-Fume Services Inc., and Michael Fink, CAO and Director of IT for the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River & Bay.

Coming Together for a Common Cause

The trip was a strong example of what can happen when teams, brands, and industry partners work together toward a common goal. By bringing together expertise from across the organization and the broader industry, the group was able to build relationships, exchange knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Chile’s fresh fruit supply chain.

Throughout the trip, the group met with senior leaders from major exporters, shipping companies, logistics providers, and industry organizations including Cool Carriers, Frutas de Chile, Oppy, Exser, Global Reefers, and MSC. Discussions centered on crop forecasts, shipping capacity, port utilization, market trends and operational planning for the upcoming Chilean grape and fresh fruit season. The team also toured Terminal Portuario de Valparaíso, gaining firsthand insight into the logistics and cold-chain operations supporting Chile’s breakbulk fruit exports.

These conversations reflected the importance of partnership in an industry where no single organization operates independently. Growers, exporters, shipping companies, logistics providers, and food safety experts all play an essential role in moving fresh produce from the field to markets around the world.

For Western Fumigation, showing up and learning directly from industry partners is part of doing whatever it takes to understand customers’ needs and help solve complex problems. It’s the kind of quiet excellence that happens when people are willing to listen, collaborate, and do the work required to support one another.

Connecting Through Research and Innovation

Innovation was another important focus of the trip. The Western Fumigation team met with INTRESO, Detia Degesch Chile, Fundación para el Desarrollo Frutícola (FDF) and academic research partners to discuss eFume research, regulatory considerations, future trials, and potential alternatives to methyl bromide. These conversations reinforced Western Fumigation’s ongoing commitment to science-based approaches and collaboration with researchers and industry partners to develop solutions that can support the fresh produce supply chain.

The discussions also reflected the team’s commitment to being remarkable and looking for opportunities to improve, think creatively, and go beyond established approaches. In a constantly changing industry, supporting customers means continuing to ask questions, explore new possibilities, and pay attention to the details that can make a difference.

The team also participated in the Global Grape Convention, an important gathering for grape industry professionals from Chile, Peru, and Mexico. Western Fumigation exhibited at the event, connecting with growers, exporters, customers, logistics providers, and other industry leaders while highlighting the company’s role in supporting the fresh fruit industry. The convention provided another opportunity for the team to share expertise, learn from others and strengthen relationships across the industry.

A Visit Beyond the Industry

While much of the trip focused on business and industry relationships, the delegation also had the opportunity to experience an important part of Western Fumigation’s long-standing commitment to the Chilean community. The group dedicated one day of the trip to visit Fundación Las Parcelas’ Casa Hogar in Pirque, just outside Santiago. Western Fumigation has supported the organization for more than a decade through its partnership with Fundación Sueños en Red, founded by former industry member Bill Liddle.

Fundación Las Parcelas was founded by Andrea Hernández, known as La Pastora, and her family. For more than 25 years, Hernández has worked to support vulnerable children and families in Chile. Following the loss of her husband in 2018, she transformed her own home into a shelter for children, continuing her mission of providing them with a safe, supportive environment. After supporting this organization for so long, the visit was a meaningful reminder that the company’s work extends beyond the services it provides and that putting the needs of others first and making a positive difference even when there is no expectation of recognition is of the utmost importance.

Today, Fundación Las Parcelas regularly supports more than 50 children and their families, helping provide access to education, food, clothing and personal necessities. Bill Liddle and his wife, Vivian, joined the Western Fumigation delegation for the visit. Liddle provided guidance and translation as the group toured Casa Hogar, shared a traditional Chilean “once” – an afternoon tea or light meal – and spent time with the children under La Pastora’s care. The children, ranging from toddlers to teenagers, welcomed the visitors with an original song they had prepared. The afternoon ended with a performance of La Cueca, Chile’s national dance, with several members of the visiting group invited to join in.

The experience was more than a stop on a busy business trip. It gave the delegation an opportunity to connect personally with a community that has been part of Western Fumigation’s story for more than a decade. It also demonstrated the meaning of being essential together. Long-standing relationships are built not only through business, but through showing up for people, supporting shared communities, and recognizing how much the connections between teammates, customers, and communities matter.

Looking Ahead

The Chile trip strengthened Western Fumigation’s relationships with customers, exporters, shipping companies, researchers, and other industry stakeholders while providing valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges facing the upcoming export season. The discussions also highlighted the continued importance of dependable fumigation capacity, supply-chain reliability, and innovation as Chile’s fresh fruit industry prepares for another export season.

Throughout the week, the delegation demonstrated the values that guide how Western Fumigation approaches its work: showing up for others, working together, and continually looking for ways to improve. From conversations at ports and industry events to research discussions and an afternoon spent with children at Casa Hogar, the trip showed doing remarkable work is about more than a single service or solution. It’s about the people behind the work, the partnerships they build, and the willingness to go above and beyond to support others.

Just as importantly, the visit to Fundación Las Parcelas demonstrated that Western Fumigation’s relationships in Chile extend beyond business. Through its long-standing partnership with Fundación Sueños en Red and support of Fundación Las Parcelas, the company continues to build connections within the communities where its customers, partners, and teammates live and work.