Innovation continues to characterize the Midwest produce industry with distributors like Vaccaro & Sons Produce, C&C Produce and Midwest Best Produce rolling out new technology, launching new products and achieving other milestones.
Owned by San Francisco-based food technology company GrubMarket, Vaccaro & Sons Produce plans to introduce GrubMarket’s newly released USDA Pricing AI Analyst to the St. Louis location by Thanksgiving, says Dale Vaccaro, general manager.
The new tool, when connected to a distributor’s enterprise resource planning system, can combine market data with actual sales and purchasing data, GrubMarket says. This allows distributors to look more closely at pricing, identify opportunities, evaluate supplier bids and make faster, more informed decisions.
“It will help guide us on market pricing on everything,” Vaccaro says. “We have so many items, any tool we can use to help nail down pricing is helpful.”
GrubMarket says the AI analyst uses data from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service and covers a broad range of fruits and vegetables.
Once implemented, the tool will enable the user to get quick answers to questions like “What’s the trend on avocado pricing?” or “What are California strawberries selling for compared to New York strawberries?”
The USDA Pricing AI Analyst is part of GrubMarket’s GrubAssist AI program.
In North Kansas City, Mo., C&C Produce added a whole new product line to its produce repertoire late last year with its ready-to-eat salad bowl line, says Nick Conforti Jr., vice president of warehouse operations.
“In about four months, we went from making no salads at all to running a USDA FSIS-inspected, vacuum-sealed salad line,” he says.
The line now offers 10 varieties to grocery stores, convenience stores and vending operators. Top sellers are Chicken Caesar, Classic Chef, Cobb and Apple Walnut Chicken, all sold under the Cool Creations brand from the company’s in-house fresh-cut division.
“We saw a gap in the market where supply wasn’t keeping up with demand, and when one of our customers asked us to fill it, we said yes,” Conforti says. “Standing up a new production line that fast is a real testament to our team’s grit and dedication to our customers.”
St. Louis-based Midwest Best Produce underwent some major changes late last year, but they were not something the company planned on; the office caught fire.
“We remodeled to a new state-of-the-art office,” says owner Edin Saric.
The remodel included a new automated phone system, new ordering software and master servers.
Saric says he has no plans to move the office. He likes the off-market location.
“Our customers come here because they like coming somewhere where they don’t feel pressured having to choose from multiple companies to buy from,” he says. “Our customers know they can come here and buy what [they] need when they need it.”
The company has been rapidly expanding its farming programs, he says, adding about two states every year.
“Right now, we grow watermelons in six states and in Mexico,” he says. “Ten years ago, we only grew in two states.”
Shifts in Demand
Other changes in the region are more subtle and have taken place over time.
As is the case at many produce markets across the U.S., Vaccaro & Sons Produce has seen a dip in sales to major supermarket chains, which now tend to deal directly with distributors, but sales remain strong to independent stores and other buyers, Vaccaro says.
“We supply one of the biggest Latin wholesalers here in St. Louis,” he says.
Avocados, tomatoes and onions are among the products the customer asks for.
The company also supplies a large independent world food source called Global Foods Market in St. Louis, he says.
No matter how big or small the customer, Vaccaro says, one thing is certain: “You definitely have to have what the customer wants and when they want it. That’s our job.”
C&C Produce has noted a growing demand for locally grown produce.
“We have a very robust program, led by our full-time locally grown buyer, Chris Shea,” Conforti says. “He does a fantastic job working with the growers, educating the customers, promoting what is available, and highlighting the story of who grew it.”
The local program includes tomatoes, summer squash, southern peaches and “corn so sweet you can eat it raw,” Conforti says. “Our tray-packed corn has been a real success with retailers; it’s convenient and displays great on the shelf.”
Midwest Best Produce has served local supermarkets, national chain stores and small ethnic markets in town over the past few years, Saric says.
“We specialize in a lot of the tropical and ethnic produce that is grown in the area on top of our melon and pumpkin crops that we supply to national retailers,” he says.
Mangoes, papayas, ethnic vegetables, pineapples and limes are some of the ethnic items the company offers.
Why Produce Brands Are Taking Control of Their Social Media Story
For years, produce growers, shippers and distributors operated primarily behind the scenes, treating direct consumer engagement as an afterthought while focusing entirely on B2B retail and wholesale channels. Today, that approach is ancient history.
Driven by shifting consumer demands and a digital-first marketplace, Midwest produce businesses are actively taking control of their story. Produce marketers are no longer just posting standard product photos; they are building direct relationships on platforms like TikTok and Instagram — driving brand loyalty, showcasing real-time field operations, and directly influencing consumer purchasing decisions before shoppers even set foot in the store.
Lange Cos.
With offices across the U.S., social media gives St. Louis-based Lange Cos. an easy way to stay connected with customers and employees, says Nikki Keene, marketing manager.
“We use it to share product offerings, company updates, industry news and events while also keeping Lange top of mind within the industry,” she says. “More than anything, we see social media as another way for people to get to know Lange as a company and feel connected to what is happening across our organization.”
Lange Cos. has chosen two platforms — LinkedIn and Instagram — to reach different audiences.
“LinkedIn gives us a way to stay connected with our customers and industry partners and maintain a strong presence within the industry,” Keene says.
Content there tends to be more business-focused and includes product and market updates, company news, industry articles and events, she says.
Instagram helps Lange Cos. stay connected with employees and their families and gives customers a look at the people and culture behind the company, Keene says.
C&C Produce
For C&C Produce, North Kansas City, Mo., social media helps the company fill its goal of being an active part and supporter of its community, says Nick Conforti Jr., vice president of warehouse operations.
“We highlight organizations doing great work in the area, support customer promotions and give credit to the teammates that make C&C Produce great,” he says.
C&C Produce learned how much impact social media can have during COVID-19 when, prior to USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program, the company developed what it called its Community Box, a low-cost box of assorted produce sold in its parking lot, and announced it on Facebook.
“We advertised on Facebook, and the first week we sold a few hundred,” Conforti says. “Then the community really wrapped their arms around us and promoted it.”
One post reached more than 800 shares.
“We were blown away with the community support,” he says.
Midwest Best Produce
St. Louis-based Midwest Best Produce Inc. is now in the process of establishing a social media presence, says owner Edin Saric.
“We are working on a social media page to spread the word about our melon and pumpkin operations,” he says. “We want to show the consumers the stories behind the product and the different varieties we are offering.”
The company plans to start off with an Instagram page.
“We feel like getting those stories out there will draw consumers to look for our product in stores or ask retailers for our products,” Saric says.
He is hopeful that once the firm’s Instagram page goes live, it will attract a strong following of those looking to find out about the company’s black diamond watermelons, yellow-flesh melons or unique pumpkin offerings.
“We are seeing a stronger demand for different types of produce that consumers find more exciting and that they choose because it’s out of the norm,” he says.
Recipes also are on the agenda.
“Once we build that social media platform, we’ll look at sharing recipes or anything that might help consumers interact with the product better,” he says.
