United Fresh’s Stenzel attends Infrastructure Bill ceremony

Featured image: United Fresh President/CEO Tom Stenzel

Among the crowd celebrating President Joe Biden’s signing of the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act into law on Nov. 15 was United Fresh President/CEO Tom Stenzel.

Stenzel praised the bill, saying, “United Fresh has worked with the Administration and bipartisan Congressional leaders to pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill. The new law will provide critical improvements to support the fresh produce supply chain, including roads, bridges, ports, and vitally needed western state water infrastructure investment. We look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure consumers have access to our safe, healthy, and nutritious products. This law is a strong step in the right direction.”

According to a release from United Fresh, “The infrastructure bill passed with strong bipartisan support in the Senate in August. On Nov. 5, the House passed the bipartisan infrastructure measure by a 228-206 vote.

As part of last week’s House Agriculture Committee hearing on the challenges facing the entire agricultural supply chain, United Fresh and other North American fresh produce organizations submitted for the record a joint statement urging immediate government action to address significant ongoing supply chain disruptions with impacts to food systems, economies, and ultimately individuals and families worldwide.

“In October, United Fresh joined more than 50 organizations to submit comments to the Administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) request for information that was used to prepare a report for President Biden on supply chains for the industrial base. The comments offered recommendations to help ensure resiliency of the food and agricultural supply chain by addressing issues including labor, climate policy, transportation policy and infrastructure, container shipping, inland waterways, rail competition, and service and motor carrier freight transportation efficiency.”