Adolfo Vega Jr. manages La Hacienda Brands, Inc., a receiver, processor, and wholesale grocery company founded by his grandfather in 1973. “Everyone wants a piece of the Hispanic market,” Vega points out. “Our biggest volume items are papayas, cilantro, jalapeños, tomatillos, and bulk dried peppers used in salsas and general cooking. Sure, they’re Latin specialties, but these items have become popular in mainstream markets, too. A lot of people are cooking at home and enjoying spicier foods.”
Imports & Exports
Although the recent, historic signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is a major topic of conversation within the produce industry, it’s not really top of mind in Chicago, at least not yet. Perhaps this is due to no firm date for the trading to begin, but the agreement seems to stir far more enthusiasm on the West and East Coasts than in America’s heartland.
“We don’t import directly but deal with people who do, such as Giumarra in California,” mentions Dietz & Kolodenko’s Gaglione. “I know exporters can get a premium on items like cherries that go to China, so the best product may ship there. As a receiver, that doesn’t affect us much, but if the agreement means consistent availability at fair prices, I think it’s a positive.”
Weber also reserves judgment with regard to the effect the Trans-Pacific Partnership will have on the way wholesalers do business. “The items we currently purchase from Asia are garlic and ginger. If there are opportunities for profitable export business, naturally we’d seriously consider developing that category.”
“Anything that makes trade easier affects our business,” reflects Bob Scaman, president of Goodness Greeness, Inc., an organics dealer and foodservice distributor located south of the CIPM. “If the agreement extends the season and keeps shelves full, it’s good for us.”
Product Mix
Like the CIPM itself, with changes in structure and technological innovations, the very makeup of the terminal market’s product continues to change and evolve. Once dominated by potatoes and onions back in the early days, these very same commodities are now available in new colors, sizes, and varieties. Today’s CIPM is also home to many rare and nearly-unknown ethnic vegetables, tropical fruits, and hard-to-find herbs.
Tom Cornille, president of George J. Cornille & Sons, says, “Chicago is truly an international city and the Market reflects that. With a population that includes Hispanic, Asian, Caribbean, and Eastern Europeans, produce is more important than ever. You see demand for things like fava beans, which you find in Persian and Italian cuisines, and all manner of chiles, dried and fresh, which are important to Mexican and Thai cooks alike.
“Our customers are restaurants and we’ve observed that diversity drives innovation,” Cornille continues. “Seasoned executive chefs are getting a lot of input from culinary school graduates. Today’s young chefs understand the importance of using produce more than any other generation. They’ll experiment with different types of produce and the more exotic ingredients find their way into retail.”
More Organic
While the Midwest may have been a little slower to embrace organics, this is changing too, certainly among retailers. Riehm finds many stores are giving more shelf space to organics. “Organic produce is looking better than ever and the prices are coming closer to conventional produce. With the economy more steady, the average person is better able to afford it. To keep those customers, stores have to offer a wide selection.”
At Ruby Robinson Company, organic sales are booming for another reason. “Our organic business has grown exponentially from just a few pallets a week to truckloads, thanks to our newest hire Brian Holzkopf,” enthuses Weber. “Brian joined the Ruby team just over a year ago after 30 years in retail produce.”
Things are somewhat different at Coosemans Worldwide; Pappas notes that among his mostly foodservice and distributor customers, “We’ve found the organic trade is not spilling out to the heavy produce users. Most of the organic products we handle are for specific customers. We don’t speculate as much as we do with conventional produce.”
