It’s been more than a decade since Daryoush Davidi launched Berkeley, CA-based United With Earth, a company catering to people of Middle Eastern descent, with its Persian cucumbers and Medjool dates.
The company has been growing every year and can no longer be defined by just those two categories. It has become a more comprehensive specialty produce company, developing strong roots with its suppliers and consumers.
While the recent California wildfires slowed some shipments, overall production was setting company records across all categories. In 2018, Davidi noted sales surpassed even his own expectations.
“We continued to have double-digit growth on our entire product line,” he said. “Our biggest jump in sales came in shipments of walnuts. We saw a jump of more than 73 percent compared to the previous year thanks to market conditions that were favorable on both domestic and international fronts.”
The company finished 2018 on a high note thanks to an increase in sales around the holidays.
“The holidays were a great time for us to go all in with everything we had. Retailers were looking for new and innovative products that attract consumers into their stores. Since our product line is shelf stable and super healthy, they were popular,” Davidi said.
For example, in the last quarter of 2018 the company introduced gift baskets for the holidays and is seeing momentum with those going into the first quarter of 2019.
“When I reflect back in 2018 and beyond I realize that we have a very loyal consumer base that has grown to really trust our brand,” Davidi said. “As the founder of the company, I really enjoy staying in touch with our loyal fans.”
In 2019, United With Earth is looking to expand even further.
“We have been getting a lot of feedback to expand our super fruit snack pack line,” Davidi said. “Currently, we offer a coconut date roll, almond date roll, and dates and walnuts in a combo pack ready to consume. In 2018, we launched the dates and walnuts item to limited distributors and retailers. In 2019, we are launching it nationally and we will offer it in organic as well.”
Healthy eating resolutions are always on top of consumers’ minds this time of year. This is where United With Earth really tries to market it products.
“We know after the holidays that consumers switch to getting back on track and eating healthy and staying fit,” Davidi said. “We have various promotional programs targeted for the first quarter to help retailers grow their sales. At this time of year, it’s typically much harder for retailers to source local fruits and vegetables as temperatures are really cold and I typically see tons of empty space in the produce section.”
The company sees this as a perfect opportunity to educate retailers to merchandise United With Earth products.
A new item to keep an eye on in 2019 is United With Earth’s Super Fruit Snack Pack.
“We are also planning to expand our offerings further — not just to walnuts, but also almonds and pistachios,” Davidi said. “Our early start in 2018 prior to the market dropping allowed us to gain strategic partnerships with our growers. With the added product line and our strong fan base, we are excited to introduce more new items.”
