A new company opened its doors on the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market April 30, and an old one is refocusing its efforts.
Leo Rolandelli, president and majority owner of Jacobs, Malcom & Burtt Inc., a fixture on the market since the market opened in 1963, is focusing efforts on his asparagus brokerage.
He turned over the remainder of JMB’s operation to former warehouse manager Scott Salisbury, who has partnered with grower Larry Balestra to form S&L Wholesale Produce Co. LLC.
S&L Wholesale will continue the relationships with suppliers and customers that JMB had.
The new company will operate out of the four stalls — about 10,000 square feet — that JMB previously occupied. Rolandelli will continue to operate his brokerage out of the upstairs offices.
JMB, established in 1888, no longer will conduct street business, and Rolandelli will not be affiliated with the new company other than as a supplier.
Salisbury, who was with JMB for more than 25 years, and Balestra, who grows more than 1,500 acres of fruit and vegetables in nearby Suisun Valley, plan to expand the brokerage and shipping arm that JMB established.
Salisbury said the relationships and connections that Rolandelli formed with growers and brokers over the years will help the new company grow. His own long-term relationships with customers and suppliers also should help build a strong base for the business.
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