After a year of growth across Europe, China and Latin America, Catalytic Generators has entered 2026 with renewed momentum, showcasing its worldwide expansion strategy at Fruit Logistica Berlin and positioning Europe as a strategic growth market while preparing to introduce digital control and remote monitoring in fruit ripening operations worldwide.
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Catalytic Generators, an expert in ethylene application systems for fruit ripening, closed 2025 on a strong trajectory and advanced its global growth plans at Fruit Logistica 2026, engaging with key European and international customers.
Building on growing adoption in Europe and accelerating demand in key international markets, the company is advancing a strategy which combines geographic growth, deeper customer partnerships, and a significant new digital innovation designed to make ethylene application even simpler and more reliable.
“Fruit Logistica is always a valuable checkpoint for understanding where the ripening industry is heading, particularly in Europe,” Catalytic Generators chief executive Greg Akins says.
“This year’s event was fantastic,” he says.
“We joined our Dutch distributor, Fresh Produce Instruments, and welcomed many visitors to our stand, both current and prospective clients.
“Existing customers gave positive feedback, appreciating we focus solely on ethylene application, unlike other vendors, who sell multiple gases.
“As we begin 2026, we’re seeing clear momentum, not just in sales, but in how customers are rethinking about reliability, visibility, and control in their ripening operations. That aligns perfectly with where we’re investing as a company.”
Closing 2025 with momentum
Catalytic Generators finished 2025 with increasing global sales of its ethylene generators and Ethy-Gen II concentrate, driven by expanding adoption in Europe and China, alongside continued growth in Latin America.
The year marked a further shift from awareness-building to customer acceptance in Europe, as more ripeners evaluated and adopted Catalytic Generators’ alternative ethylene delivery method.
Steve Page, Greg Akins and Michael Landry selling the Catalytic Generators message.
In Europe, the company secured regulatory approval for avocado ripening in the Netherlands and is advancing approvals for additional products in other member states.
Through distributor collaboration, on-site visits, and trade show engagement, Catalytic Generators reinforced its core value proposition: a system designed to make ethylene application the easiest, safest, and most predictable part of the ripening process.
“Once customers see how simple and dependable our system is in day-to-day use, the conversation quickly moves from ‘why change’ to ‘how fast can we implement’,” Greg adds.
Europe a strategic anchor in global growth
As 2026 begins, Catalytic Generators’ growth strategy is focused on extending its global reach while strengthening performance in the world’s most demanding markets.
Europe plays a central role in its approach, not only as a commercial opportunity, but also as a region where regulatory approvals of ethylene application are demanding and require significant time and investment.
The company is working with an EU task force to ensure ethylene is reregistered as a legal and safe plant protection product while pursuing the necessary product approvals.
The company’s commitment to obtaining these approvals and establishing ethylene as an effective, safe solution demonstrates its dedication to safety, quality and operational discipline for ripening operators in Europe and around the world.
“Europe challenges suppliers to be better – more precise, more reliable and more committed,” Greg explains.
“We chose to invest here because to be the best, you have to make challenging decisions,” he says.
“This demanding market requires significant effort and resources, and that investment demonstrates our commitment to prioritising reliability and operational integrity.
“It also shows we can meet the highest standards, which gives European ripeners and customers around the world confidence in our ability to be a proven, reliable and trusted ethylene partner.”
2026 roadmap: smarter ripening with digital control
Looking ahead, Catalytic Generators 2026 roadmap centers on three priorities: continued geographic expansion, stronger presence in Europe and Latin America, and the introduction of digital control and remote monitoring capabilities for ethylene application systems.
In the fourth quarter of 2026, Catalytic Generators plans to introduce a new digital platform which wirelessly connects its ethylene generators to a secure cloud-based interface.
Through a dedicated web portal, customers will be able to view generator status in real time, confirm when ethylene application starts and ends, or is interrupted, monitor Ethy-Gen II levels, and receive alerts if performance is affected.
This gives operators confidence that ethylene application is correctly occurring during the critical 24-hour application period.
Generators can also be adjusted remotely and integrated with room control systems for optimised ethylene levels.
“This innovation gives ripeners peace of mind when it matters most,” Greg says.
“Ethylene already works quietly in the background. Digital visibility will take one step further by removing uncertainty and reinforcing our promise that ethylene should be the easiest part of ripening,” he says.
“We’ve spent more than 50 years simplifying ethylene – in 2026, we’re building on that foundation by scaling globally, strengthening our European presence, and introducing smarter tools which help ripeners focus on what matters most: delivering consistently high-quality fruit.”
With more than 50 years of experience, Catalytic Generators is a family-owned company dedicated exclusively to ethylene application systems and known for making ethylene easy, safe and cost-effective.
Based in Virginia, USA, it operates across the globe, supplying fresh produce companies, grocery distribution centers, and growers with the tools to ripen avocados, bananas, tomatoes, and more.
It helps customers simplify operations and achieve consistent, predictable results with its high-purity ethylene solutions backed by professional support, local distribution, and customised services.
