When the Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote, “The only constant in life is change,” he probably wasn’t thinking about the onion industry — but he might as well have been.
Some of the leading onion sellers and marketers say their companies have undergone some major transitions since they entered the business — and the changes just keep coming.
“Change is inevitable,” says Jeff Brechler, sales manager for Little Bear Produce, Edinburg, Texas, whether it be labor, weather, buyers on the desk or leadership changes at retail.
“Produce is about how quickly you can adapt,” he says. “Knowing your capabilities is extremely important and is the difference between making money and losing money.”
Tech Impact
Yerington, Nev.-based Peri & Sons Farms has been growing onions for three generations, and the changes over that time have been significant, says Kelsey Weingart, brand manager, marketing.
“On the farming side, precision agriculture has transformed how we monitor soil health, water usage and crop development,” she says. “We have become far more efficient and far more intentional.”
She called advances in climate-controlled technology in the packinghouse and storage facilities a game changer.
“We can now extend high-quality Nevada onions deep into spring without sacrificing the freshness our customers expect,” she says.
That concept was shared by Chris Franzoy, owner of Legacy Fresh LLC, Las Cruces, N.M., the company formed in 2024 to sell and market product for Billy the Kid Produce.
Automated packaging and robotics have been implemented at the packing shed to support demand, ensure that orders are fulfilled on time and improve efficiencies.
“We’re learning how to use the new AI technology,” he adds, but Franzoy has mixed feelings about artificial intelligence.
“I think it serves a purpose, but it’s nice to be able to speak to a human being on the other end of the phone line and have real conversations about supply, demand, trends and collaborate about the future,” he says. “We hope that never goes away, but it seems that many people would rather communicate via text message, email or utilize some type of bot to answer calls.”
At its Echo, Ore., shed for Madison-Cox Onions LLC, the Madison family has installed multiple labor-saving measures, such as automated palletizers, automated bag stitchers, optical sorters and sizers managed by computer and AI, as well as new storage units that can manage air and temperatures remotely and assist in better quality in storage, says Larry Cox, an owner of the company.
“There are marked improvements in genetics and plant breeding, better quality, better storage ability, size, quality, heat tolerance and more,” he says.
Operations and Ordering
Stricter food safety accountability and the trend toward online ordering are changes noted by salesman Colton Neuhaus from The Onion House LLC, Weslaco, Texas.
“There’s a big push for food safety, which is fair, but another hurdle for us,” he says.
The company now has to focus not only on the safety of the onions it sells, but must make sure the right paperwork is filled out properly and “everything is audited, checked and triple checked,” he says.
In the office, Neuhaus likes to conduct business on the phone rather than online.
“The majority of the deals are still made over the phone,” he says.
Even those who order online typically set the price they’ll pay over the phone.
“There still have to be some words exchanged and the deal settled on the phone rather than on the computer,” Neuhaus says. “It’s a lot easier for us to reach a fair deal for both sides like that.”
Keeping Up With Consumers
Change from Orlando, Fla.-based Spice World has impacted the way consumers can use onions in the kitchen. Besides slicing, dicing and chopping them up, they can now squeeze them.
Spice World introduced Easy Onion in 2022 in a squeezable jar format and, a year later, added a 16-ounce jar so consumers could add onions to their recipes in larger portions, says Mike Smith, senior vice president of sales and marketing.
“The idea for Spice World’s Easy Onion product grew out of the same consumer insight that has guided much of the company’s innovation: People love the flavor of fresh ingredients, but they increasingly want convenience and time savings,” explains Smith.
The future looks bright for Spice World, with opportunity for line extensions, new formats and “complementary products that continue to simplify cooking while delivering fresh, bold flavor,” Smith says.
New Challenges
However, it seems not all change in the industry is for the best.
“One of the most significant changes that we have seen in recent years is a decrease in consumer awareness of Vidalia onions,” says John Shuman, president and CEO of Reidsville, Ga.-based Shuman Farms.
Vidalia onions’ core consumer base is aging, he says, adding that many younger consumers have never purchased or tasted a Vidalia onion. And they don’t understand what makes it special compared with more traditional varieties.
“With millennials and Gen Z growing into their role as the highest-spending groups at retail, we at Shuman Farms are committed to finding new and authentic ways to reach these shoppers and familiarize and endear them to RealSweet and Mr. Buck’s Farm Fresh Vidalia onions,” Shuman says.
