Dominic Riggio, president of Riggio Distribution Company on the Detroit Produce Terminal, seconds this line of thought, citing the strength of the overall economy in 2017 and how it allowed many customers to reinvest and expand their own businesses. This not only “translates to opportunities locally for us,” Riggio notes, but this strengthened “business footprint reaches far beyond Michigan.”
Del Bene Produce, which caters to higher-end restaurants, deals predominantly in specialty produce. “A lot of chefs are guided our way when they come to town,” shares Del Bene. As a result, the region’s rejuvenation has “probably tripled our business in and around city limits because of new arenas and restaurants.”
Horkey is also riding high and extremely proud of the turnaround. “It’s the place to be—the number one city: values are increasing, things keep picking up and improving, and restaurants are thriving, so business is better.” The local grower-shipper hoped to see steady increases in earnings every month, and excitingly, that bar is reached “most of the time.”
“It’s just a great time to be at Ben B. Schwartz & Sons and to be in the produce business,” enthuses Nate Stone, in special projects for the fourth-generation company. For him, it’s all about the city’s “incredible independent retailers” that have helped the extended Schwartz family celebrate 110 years in the industry. “The idea of being in the produce business is genetically connected to this family.”
Del Bene is also part of a family-run operation and excited to share that after years of flatline growth, his company has also experienced a dramatic turnaround. “Our company has grown every month, and every month has been our best month,” he says. “It’s truly a bright spot; the second generation is in place, and we feel good that we have a future here.”
Keeping Fresh: Market Trends
Although Riggio cautions “market trends are very cyclical,” the old adage that everyone has to eat and the nation’s renewed focus on health are a great impetus to produce sales. “We sell vitamins in the form of food,” Riggio explains. “When a certain product is identified in any form of media as particularly healthy, we see an increase in sales.”
Recently, Riggio’s seen Brussels sprouts, chard, and kale continue to ride the trend. He also highlights customer movement toward more value-added options and bulk products.
For Russo, “locally grown and organically grown stand out,” as wholesalers gain traction in both categories. However, the trend of constant change is what’s most exciting. “There are always new varieties of fruit with better flavor profiles and appearance,” Russo says. “It’s such a great business to be in to explore and offer our customers and the market the same item in a different way.”
