New York City business updates

A&J Produce upgrading facilities

A&J Produce Corp. is making improvements to its operations on the Hunts Point Terminal Market.

The New York wholesaler is seeking to become good agricultural practices certified.

It is making some upgrades to its warehousing in refrigeration and is also upgrading its trailers and ordering new trailers, said Pete Pelosi, buyer and logistics.

The improvements began with upgrading some of the plumbing to improve drainage in one of its refrigerated storage boxes.

"We are definitely seeing the growth in our business," Pelosi said. "We are bullish about the future and these tweaks and improvements will help keep the momentum going."

The changes are scheduled to occur over several months.

Baldor expanding warehousing

Baldor Specialty Foods Inc., plans to expand its refrigerated warehouse capacity through the purchase of 10 acres from the city of New York.

The New York-based foodservice distributor expects to invest millions of dollars into the additions, which will expand the company's cold storage capacity from 100,000 square feet to 172,000 square feet, said Mike Muzyk, president.

Baldor plans to relocate its fresh-cut processing operation into the new warehousing.

The additions should generate 300 new jobs and place the company as one of the south Bronx's largest employers, Muzyk said.

"The new expansion will be refrigerated warehouse space to continue to store and grow our product line," Muzyk said. "We will be able to store product under ideal conditions which will ultimately reduce waste on the customer level."

E. Armata buys market unit

E. Armata Inc. recently closed on a deal to purchase another unit at the Hunts Point Terminal Market.

The New York-based wholesaler planned to gut and renovate the stall, unit No. 110 on Row A, and use it as a wet room to store asparagus, broccoli, scallions and spring onions, said Steve Koster, mushroom department and marketing and advertising.

The addition provides Armata 24.5 market units including a tomato repacking operation and warehouse.

Armata also recently renewed its Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point and good agricultural practices certifications.

The company recently scored high ratings, Koster said.

With more than 100 years in operation, Armata distributes potatoes, onions and berries as well as a full line of produce to retail and wholesale customers.

Cochran refrigerates operation

Robert T. Cochran & Co. Inc. has fully refrigerated its operation on the Hunts Point Terminal Market.

Cochran installed refrigeration in one of its unrefrigerated units and the improvement allows the wholesaler to store all its fruit and vegetables in refrigerated space.

"The addition has increased our capacity quite a bit," said Mike Cochran, sales manager and vice president. "We can bring more products and this saves a lot of time in set up when we had to move a lot of product in and out of ice boxes. This keeps the product more consistent."

FreshPro hires foodservice salesman

FreshPro Food Distributors has hired a business development manager to handle foodservice sales.

In October, Brad Ehnert joined the West Caldwell, N.J.-based distributor that sells mostly to retailers.

Ehnert's addition has opened some doors in its new venture, said Joe Granata, director of produce sales.

The company's November transition from RLB Food Distributors LP to FreshPro has been going well, Granata said.

FreshPro was RLB's longtime fresh-cut processing division and the new logo and slogan provides a renewed focus on serving retail and foodservice customers, he said.

"The name change has helped and has given us a different image," Granata said. "We weren't sure what kind of reaction we'd get but it has helped open doors to customers that didn't know us to begin with. They think we're a new company and people we've done business with think we're a new company."

FreshPro distributes to retailers, convenience stores and foodservice customers throughout the Northeast from Boston to Washington, D.C.

Nathel & Nathel purchases market units

Nathel & Nathel Inc.'s purchase of neighboring Korean Farms, a process that began 1 ½ years ago, was finalized early this year.

The company remodeled the two units and installed refrigeration units.

Nathel & Nathel plans to use the units to handle packaged salads and other value-added vegetable items, as well as organics, said Sheldon Nathel, vice president.

The purchase gives Nathel & Nathel 24.5 units on the Hunts Point Terminal Market.

A.J. Trucco marketing product with new brand

New York-based A.J. Trucco Inc. is increasing sales through a new brand.

Though this is the second year the distributor of kiwifruit, blueberries, figs, chestnuts, clementines and apples has employed the Tru Star brand, it hasn't applied the brand across all its products, said Sasha LoPresti, director of business development.

The company is increasing sales of pineapples and blueberries and those items are being marketed under the new label, which is a combination of Tru for Trucco and Star for the Kiwi Star brand.

On blueberries, Trucco supplies product in partnership with a New Jersey grower and maintains other domestic and international grower partnerships.