With more than five decades of experience, Philadelphia-based Procacci Bros. is a direct importer, handler and repacker of various ethnic and tropical fruits and vegetables. The company’s long-standing relationships and global network of growers enables it to provide these specialty products year-round.
Mike Maxwell, president of the company, noted the ethnic category is an important one for Procacci Bros.
“If you look at the Northeast, the Hispanic population is growing by leaps and bounds. The demographic of the country by the year 2040 is going to be over 50 percent Hispanic,” he said. “This is a hub for this population, and it’s our job to provide them with the foods that they traditionally eat.”
Procacci Bros.’ Feliz line of tropical produce, which started eight years ago, is sourced from the freshest growing regions throughout the course of the year.
“That developed after we identified how big and important this sector of the business was,” Maxwell said. “We opened up a buying office in Miami and looking at the competition, we realized there was no uniformity to the product, so we came up with this line and contracted No. 1 product at a standard weight and size to promote under our label as a premium product.”
The growth the company has seen over that time is unprecedented, with increases of at least 20 percent per year. Carlos Rodriguez, director of sales, ethnics, said products currently trending include green plantains, green cooking bananas, Malanga Lila and Yautia Blanca.
“Things have been steady and with the holidays coming up, we expect a bigger push, especially going into November,” he said. “It’s not just going to be Latinos or people from the tropics, it’s going to be people who want to experience different flavors and those who want to add different spices to their menu.”
Procacci Bros. can help retailers bring these items to the forefront best by offering a consistent supply year-round. Maxwell would like to see more retailers get on board with some of these products that they may not have offered before.
“This is a pretty mature category for us now, and the way we are merchandising them now with the consistency in pack sizes and coverage is relatively new,” Maxwell said. “The growth we are seeing, we have some customers that have been on the program for several years and are still seeing steady growth. The likelihood of customers to experiment and be curious is really where the explosive potential is for increased movement and increased consumption.”
A lot of behind-the-scenes legwork goes into making the program successful at Procacci Bros., and they work hard to make the challenges invisible to their customer base. Whether it’s transportation, weather or government interference, the company’s experience helps it solve all pitfalls.
“We just want customers to be satisfied with what they receive when they open the back doors of that truck every day,” Maxwell said. “Those happy customers are why the program has flourished and continues to grow.”
The company also offers a line of exotic specialty produce, procured from around the world that continues to increase business as well.
“A majority of this is seasonal fruit, some of which comes from Florida,” said Lori Fischer, director of sales, specialties. “We offer colorful and interesting looking items that catch the eye, such as dragon fruit, passion fruit and kumquats.”
