With technology making it possible to conduct business pretty much anywhere, anytime—what’s the best thing about working in Nogales?
Alex Chamberlain, AC Tomato Sales, LLC
Nogales is a very business-friendly environment—everyone knows everyone. This is where I make my home and my living.
Roberto Franzone, Arizona Sky, Inc.
The weather is so nice we have time to breathe and live life. The cost of living is less than most cities. On any given day, you can run into fifteen people you know.
Joe Bernardi, Bernardi & Associates, Inc.
There’s a synergy in Nogales; it’s fast-moving and vibrant. Being on the ground in Nogales gives us a unique perspective to the market and helps us be right on price while supplying customers the next day.
Atanasio Panousopoulos, Delta Fresh Sales, Inc.
You can keep a finger on the pulse of what’s going on by being in Nogales—you can gauge the state of the business just by driving around and observing the volume of trucks at the warehouses. Plus, Nogales is one of the few towns where you can walk across the border for a nice Mexican meal.
Rodrigo Diaz, Diazteca Company
Today’s social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram enable us to maintain an intimate relationship with our customers and support more traditional channels like phone calls and visits. These reinforce our message, as does the produce trade media—they all add up to cement our relationships.
Luis Gonzalez, Gonzalez Quality Fruits & Vegetables, LLC
Most of our salespeople are millennials and they don’t like talking on the phone—they’d rather email or text. Our older employees are used to making deals with a handshake and writing orders by hand. The irony is the older ones sell more and make more money, probably due to experience; however, our volume has grown due to technology.
Edgar Duarte, Higueral Produce, Inc.
I feel customers want know shippers have personally laid eyes on their product to ensure quality. By being here in Nogales/Rio Rico, we can do that.
Jose Luis Obregon, IPR Fresh
Being here in Nogales, we can walk out the door, go to the warehouse, and visually inspect the produce we’re shipping to customers. Otherwise you’re just looking at spreadsheets. Nothing compares to seeing product and ensuring customers are getting what they want.
John Lichter, Lisa, Inc.
I’ve lived all over and could work anywhere, but I came back to Nogales where I grew up. It’s not just that the family business is here, but I feel strongly about feeding people, not just making money. It’s a great place to raise kids—friendly, close-knit, and with a low crime rate.
Miguel “Miky” Suarez, MAS Melons & Grapes, LLC
Twenty years ago, most winter vegetables were grown in Sinoloa on the west coast. Now, production is all over Mexico so there’s a lot crossing through Texas but Nogales is still the biggest volume-wise. From here we can reach the United States and the world—plus, we have great weather in Nogales—ten days of heat, ten days of cold, and the rest is perfect.
This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full supplement.
