Bamford Produce buys shares of Bay Growers Inc.
Bamford Produce buys shares of Bay Growers Inc.
Toronto — With the recent acquisition of shares in Bay Growers Inc., a packer-shipper of Ontario apples representing 2,500 acres of farms, Bamford Produce is working to become more vertically integrated.
Bamford Produce display cases of cherimoyas, which are nicknamed the ice cream fruit.Established in 1881, the fourth-generation family business now includes multiple companies operating as one. Bamford Produce specializes in foodservice distribution, Fresh Advancements in imports and wholesale, and Freshline Foods in fresh-cut fruit and vegetable processing.
The Produce News met with Steve Bamford at the Ontario Food Terminal over a shared cherimoya — or, as Mark Twain wrote in The Sacramento Daily Union in 1866, “The most delicious fruit known to men.”
“I started working summers as a teenager then came on full time at 18. Sales have grown dramatically in the 21 years I’ve been actively involved. We’ve grown from 10 employees to about 300,” said Mr. Bamford.
“We’ve worked our way to becoming specialists in area of products like tropical and berries. We look for import items that aren’t grown locally and always strive to diversify ourselves. We also have our private brand items that include pineapples, bananas, broccoli and onions,” he continued.
Retail makes up about 65 percent of the business, with retail organics and retail shorts a large part of the retail business. “We’re looking to grow the foodservice side of the business,” noted Mr. Bamford.
Freshline originally supplied high-volume bin-type products, including canned soups. Its offerings are now much more diverse. “We tend to concentrate on regionally based items like fruit and veg trays,” said Mr. Bamford. “Pineapple is our number one item, with sliced apples a close second. The addition of Bay Growers will help increase apples in our fresh cut and foodservice operations. We’d been looking for four or five years to find the right partner fit for local. We’ve found it in Bay Growers. It’s a good product with long-term storage, and adding Bay Growers made sense.”
“Our success is built on a great team and solid management,” he continued. “It’s all about surrounding yourself with good people, it’s a relationship-based business. We work early and stay until the work gets done. Technology has also allowed us to be more available to our customers. Thanks to mobile we’re here for our customers whenever they need us.”
