PUTTIN’ THE PENCIL TO THE PAD

Tom O’Brien and C&D Produce Take on Today’s Economy

By Barbara Wunder, FFVA Communications Manager

Tom O’Brien has been around long enough to see good times and bad times. And he’s not seeing good times in the industry’s economic future. The Bradenton-based grower/packer/shipper has been in business since the 1970s and continues to embrace new concepts, new ways of approaching every aspect of the business and new ways to make the most of whatever anyone throws at him. And he’s dealing with the economic downturn with a practical attitude.

C & D began as G & O Vegetable Company back in the mid-'70s. Tom's father and a partner started the business as a brokerage with grocery chain A & P as its first customer.  G & O evolved into C & D in 1979.

Tom and his siblings grew up on the front lines of the produce industry and continue to work in the business. “The company is basically my brothers Steve and David, plus myself and my brother-in-law, who oversees everything outside the sales office,” said O’Brien. “Plus there are others who seem like family.” They include Frank, Ted and Sam Lombardi, who have spent their lives in the produce industry. The Lombardis handle the sales from C&D's Dover office, which is attached to the Dover Fresh coolers and packinghouse, a facility that was bought and refurbished by some longstanding grower families.

“The Dover office is fortunate to have some of the best growers in Florida to represent what the Lombardi family has been associated with for many, many years,” said O’Brien.

The company not only grows its own strawberries and other fruits and vegetables in the Bradenton area, it also offers a wide variety of produce to its customers through field offices in major growing areas from North Carolina to South Florida and Mexico. The system ensures its customers receive strawberries, peppers, green beans, and other items year-round. Produce is shipped quickly to the newly expanded Bradenton coolers and packinghouse and turned around immediately.

As far as today’s economic climate, O’Brien says cooperation is the key. “I think we’re in a time period where everybody has to work together,” he said. “Our emphasis now is on working closely with our customers so they can work together with their customers. People are on a tight budget, and we all have to give a little. We have to keep the prices affordable to drive the sales,” O’Brien added, saying that retailers have been doing their part by running some great fruit and vegetable advertisements to entice customers into the produce department.

PARTNERSHIP WITH DRISCOLL

One way O’Brien is positioning his company for success in iffy times is its recently formed partnership with Driscoll Berry Co.

“This is the first year we’ve grown strawberries for Driscoll, and we’re looking forward to a future relationship with them, seeing as they are a premium strawberry grower/shipper that sells worldwide,” O’Brien said.

Driscoll places a significant emphasis on food safety, which O’Brien wholeheartedly supports. “It’s not much different from the way we’ve been doing things all along. We all do what needs to be done,” he said, adding that Driscoll is very good at educating its growers. The company has very exacting standards that have been developed based on decades of research, consumer feedback and close cooperation with food safety experts and regulatory agencies.

For additional information on Driscoll’s standards, go to www.driscolls.com/safety.php. The company’s Good Agricultural Practices cover numerous components including third-party audits, water purity, foreign object contamination, pesticides and much more.

INDUSTRY EMPHASIS ON TRACEABILITY

C&D workers pack strawberries for Driscoll Berry Co.

Other new developments at C&D are a recently enlarged cooler and additional pre-coolers to bring down the temperature of freshly picked strawberries. The company has also expanded its strawberry-growing capabilities by adding a new farm in the Parrish area in the past year.

And O’Brien continues to plan for the future that will undoubtedly include good times as well as those that present challenges. “I think the economy will play a big part in the future of this industry,” he said. “Are most growers going to be more cautious when they start prepping land and preparing for the next crop? They sure will. And we’re all wondering how we’ll come out of this season and the next. Economists say it’ll be a bad year. You have to pay attention and do the math. What it boils down to is you have put a pencil to what you’re doing”

CONTACT C&D FRUIT & VEGETABLE COMPANY AT (941) 744-0505 OR VISIT ITS WEB SITE AT WWW.CDVEG.COM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PRODUCT AVAILABILITY AND COMPANY CONTACTS.