Spindle Cooling celebrated its new San Luis facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 24. The refrigeration plant is located at the Magrino Industrial Park, 5184 E. Vaughan St., near the San Luis Port of Entry II. The company invested $4.5 million in the project.
In February 2020, business partners Henry Chávez and Mario Jáuregui led the groundbreaking ceremony for the new 26,000-square-foot plant, which is expected to meet the growing demand for perishable cooling spaces in Yuma County.
Spindle provides refrigeration and temporary storage for perishable products, a high-demand service in the county. In 2020, the firm broke its export record, with 61 shipments to Mexico and 2.5 million pounds of fruit in one day.
“We have 5,000 or 6,000 trucks a year. Hopefully we can bring about 10,000 trucks,” Chavez told the Yuma Sun’s sister newspaper, Bajo El Sol.
The ribbon-cutting was a bittersweet celebration as Chavez died March 18, 2020, in Los Angeles from complications after a heart attack. In 1990, Henry, his wife Lydia, and Jauregui started Spindle Cooling and recently celebrated its 30-year anniversary.
The entire facility is leased, and 100% of the freezer space is being used. Plans for growth are already underway.
Juaregui also serves as chairman of the Greater Yuma Economic Development Corp. The organization thanked Growers Express and its president, Tom Byrne, “for helping make this all a reality as well.”
San Luis Mayor Gerardo “Jerry” Sanchez, Councilwoman Gloria Torres and City Administrator Tadeo De La Hoya attended the ceremony. In a Facebook post, the city noted that it’s “growing at an accelerated pace” and “that investment and interest in our region is also growing.”
As of April 1, the Treehouse Kids Club is at a new location, 2350 S. Virginia Drive. The 1730 S. 4th Ave. site is no longer in operation. The facility will hold an open house on April 10.
The Treehouse is Yuma’s only hourly drop-in facility that offers full-time childcare and preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Children ages 1-12 are welcome to stay for up to 12 hours.
The new facility has two infant rooms and a lactation lounge for nursing moms. Treehouse noted that infant care was at the top of its list when it started looking for a new facility.
It also has late-night hours to better accommodate the community. For more information on the new facility and/or infant care, call 928-783-8733 (TREE). To reach the Foothills facility, call 928-726-2285.
There’s a new pizza connoisseur in town and many people are raving about it. Bro’s Pizza, Yuma’s only woodfired pizza, recently started serving specialty pies in the front patio of Mickey B’s, 12635 S. Frontage Road, in the Foothills.
“From our fresh ingredients to Abraham’s dough skills, we try to create some delicious woodfired pizza for you guys! Bro’s Pizza is a family-run new small local business ready to serve Yuma,” the company stated.
Bro’s Pizza takes online orders and offers carry-out but doesn’t deliver or take phone orders. It’s open 4-9 p.m. Wednesdays to Saturdays and 4-9 p.m. Sundays.
For those wondering … no, Territorial Law LLC is not a new business. Rather, Bowman, Smith & Kallen PLLC, 113 Harold C. Giss Parkway, has evolved.
“We are excited to announce the new firm name, Territorial Law, LLC,” the firm stated.
With more than 60 years of shared experience and numerous award-winning professionals on staff, “you can trust that our Yuma lawyers are here to help you work toward a future where your interests are protected,” the company added.
I have a few tidbits to share, hopefully with more information coming soon …
• Yuma Pho, a Vietnamese restaurant, is coming soon to 394 E. 16th St., right next to Clean Freak.
• The site of the former The Chicken, located in the old Mandarin Chinese Restaurant, 12415 S. Frontage Road, is being prepared to reopen as a Mexican food restaurant.
• And sadly, the McDonald’s inside the Foothills Walmart has permanently closed, according to an employee.
If you know of a new business that has or will be opening, relocating or closing, please let me know at [email protected]. I appreciate the readers who always act as my eyes and ears.
I welcome your questions, and if I find the answer, I will include it in the column.