Harsh Times May Bear Fruit for Fresh Del Monte By Steve Gear About this article: I am not normally a fan of food distributors -- these companies have low gross margins and don't get high P/E multiples in the best of times. Yet I believe the current deflationary market and credit crisis may have some positive effects on Fresh Del Monte and leave the company with a stronger market position and better earnings results. With a well-known brand name that dates back to 1892, Fresh Del Monte is a worldwide producer and distributor of fresh fruit, vegetables, beverages and snacks. The company is a leader or top-tier competitor in a number of key produce markets such as bananas, pineapples, melons, tomatoes and grapes. Fresh Del Monte's fully integrated logistical network includes 21 owned and nine chartered refrigerated ships, 24 U.S. distributions centers and more than 40 distribution facilities in key markets throughout the world. Fresh Del Monte recently produced solid 2008 third-quarter... Or, call us at 1-866-321-TSCM (8726) Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET. Outside the U.S. and in Canada, call 1-212-321-5200. More Stories From RealMoney Durable Goods Up Move Down the Tech Food Chain Jobless Claims Still High Bulls' Tenacity Is the Big Question Mark Should You Buy It? Pharmaceutical Product Development Bad News Trumps All Support for Banks Holds, For Now Bummer, Yields Are on the Rise Money on the Line Makes a Big Difference Structured Products: Unsafe at Any Price MORE STORIES FROM REALMONEY

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