What joining an association did for my retail company

In 2022, as we embark on a new global association — the International Fresh Produce Association — I’ve been reflecting on my own experiences of what an industry association can do for you and your business.

In 1991, shortly before I became a produce director, I had attended only small, local industry events, usually hosted by a wholesale supplier or similar company. Most of those small events had more of a total-store focus, with little attention given to produce or floral — maybe none at all. I would go to these events with my coworkers and notice how many of them were on a first-name basis with each other. Their relationships with the exhibiting vendors seemed less businesslike and more friendly and personal.

I had no such relationships. But there weren’t many produce people there to chat up, besides possibly a banana or potato exhibitor. I found myself just going along for the ride.

But this disconnect changed for me in a big way in that same year, when I attended my very first Fresh Summit expo and conference by Produce Marketing Association. Not only were my eyes as wide as a child’s on Christmas morning, but my imagination began to expand. I saw the possibilities for our business. I had no idea at the time how pivotal that experience would be for me personally, for our business and its lasting relationships. The conference birthed my passion for produce, not just at the retail level, but for the overall produce and floral industry.

This change didn’t happen overnight.

Change is work

It took time and extraordinary effort, and, I might add, convincing company leadership that being involved and engaged in the industry would benefit our business faster and more successfully than we could've achieved alone.

After three years of participating in major industry events, we improved our sourcing and connections with suppliers nationwide. At that time, we had only six stores, so it took a lot to get noticed by large suppliers. We had to sell ourselves and our ability to execute and move product. Most importantly, it was a time of building trust.

Gradually, leadership began to warm to the idea of industry involvement, based on the progress we had made with suppliers, and I finally was able to convince our company to become members of PMA. It was a satisfying moment when company leaders invested in my portion of the business, trusting that it would continue to pay off in overall business growth.

In 2002, when PMA Fresh Summit was nearby in New Orleans, my Louisiana-based company was all in. We roped in store management teams, field specialists and other leaders to attend, so they could see what our fresh produce industry was like. I implored our CEO to come to the event, just to walk the show floor with me. I felt strongly that if I could get him there to see all that our industry is, then we would be set for future engagement. He agreed to take a couple of hours to walk the show floor with me.

We met at the convention center and walked around — with no appointments and no specific mission. We just walked. I introduced him to people, and many others came up to us to say hello as we navigated the aisles. Along the way, he asked questions.

At the end of our time together that day, I’ll never forget what he told me: “I had no idea you knew all these people and that the produce industry was as big as it is. Thank you for all that you have done to make our company name known in the industry.”  To say I was happy was a massive understatement. I could have leaped from the Greater New Orleans Bridge (now called Crescent City Connection) over the Mississippi River and never hit the water! My spirits were flying that high. And not for me, in particular, but for our company and our brand. All the years of effort had paid off.

Giving back

The next step for us was to begin to look at opportunities to become industry volunteers. They say retailers are the belle of the ball, meaning everyone wants to connect with the buyer at these industry shows. And yes, I felt that dynamic, and frankly, it was a little overwhelming early on, as suppliers began calling on us to sell their goods. But by the early 2000s, we were actively involved in industry committees and councils. This is when we realized the value of our membership investment was outweighed by the growth of our brand awareness in the supplier community. The ability to provide input from our perspective on large industry topics would not have been possible if we weren’t actively engaged. You can’t put a price tag on that vital role.

Some say that without relationships in the produce retail industry, we are just center store (fairly or not). But think about it for a moment, how much business is done on handshakes in fresh produce? Certainly, contracts and supply agreements are necessary these days, but as long as farmers farm, there will always be ebbs and flows to supply. And when those challenges and opportunities happen, that’s when the buyer and seller relationship matters most. The relationships we built over a 30-plus year period, along with active engagement in the industry at the association level, are what helped our brand become a name which was mentioned from coast to coast in supplier circles. People knew who we were. This brand awareness was not given; it was earned. And trust was a key component in achieving it.

A great mentor of mine often said: “Nothing is free. You get what you give.” If you want something, you have to put effort into it. Otherwise, the result will never be what you expect. When it comes to our industry, we need everyone to be participants. We need voices, we need problem solvers, we need visionaries – we need everyone at the table for all of us to succeed. The new association website is simply freshproduce.com.

Looking forward

On Jan. 3, the International Fresh Produce Association made its debut, and I, for one, am so excited for what comes next. As vice president of retail, foodservice and wholesale, I look forward to leveraging existing relationships and forging new ones. Gathering thought leaders from these three business segments will add extraordinary value to our members.

Had I never taken the leap of faith way back when, to push for being an industry participant, I often wonder: Would the company have achieved the success it ended up having? The answer is a resounding no, and for this reason. We could not do everything we wanted to accomplish on our own. We needed others to help us get to our goal, and the produce industry did just that.
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This column is part of a series by Joe Watson, who spent 30-plus years as the director of produce for Rouses Markets and was named Produce Retailer of the Year and honored as one of The Packer 25, both in 2014. Watson now serves as a vice president of retail, foodservice and wholesale for the International Fresh Produce Association.