Alisha Albinder
Hudson River Fruit Distributors
We’re launching a new bag and brand called “Lil Chief,” a play on our main brand, Red Chief. This will be a 3-pound Ziploc grab-n-go pouch marketed towards kids.
Charlie DiMaggio
Fres Co, LLC
We’re going to continue working in our areas of growth. We’ve been strong in Mexican products: yuca, chayote, and calabasa, as well as pineapples. Those have been a mainstay and source of growth for us.
Jimmy Margiotta
J Margiotta Company, LLC
We will continue to improve our facility, as many merchants on the market are doing. Keeping our facility clean and properly temperature-controlled is a priority.
Laurie Gregori
Lynn-Ette & Sons, Inc.
We will continue to focus on our main commodities, green beans and cabbage, and will look into adding vegetables such as cucumbers and squash—but that depends on the strength of the market and demand.
Jimmy Hunt, Jr.
D.M. Rothman Company, Inc.
Being a smaller house, it’s harder for us to compete for some business, so we are primarily looking at streamlining our operations to remain effective and competitive.
Matthew D’Arrigo
D’Arrigo Bros. Company of New York, Inc.
We’re always looking at ways to attract new customers and at new applications to wholesaling produce. This business rarely takes dramatic changes, but I would say providing more delivery business and more merchandising and pricing for smaller retailers is something we’re looking to do next year.
Waiting, But Renovating
To that end, some merchants aren’t waiting for a decision, but moving ahead with needed renovations to up-level their stalls. E. Armata, Inc., which has been selling fruit and vegetables in New York for more than a century, recently finished a six-month remodel with a focus on improving the cold chain. “Our main facility in Row A was renovated from top to bottom,” says Paul Armata, vice president and secretary.
