Damon Distributing opens L.A. office
Damon Distributing opens L.A. office
Nogales, AZ-based Damon Distributing opened an office in Los Angeles the week of June 19 across from the Los Angeles Wholesale Market.
Though Damon Distributing is well acquainted with the Los Angeles Wholesale Market and services customers in Los Angeles, the opening of its L.A. facility marks the first time Damon Distributing has opened an office in Los Angeles.
Ray Del Toro is sales manager of Damon's Los Angeles office. Mr. Del Toro is new to Damon but is a 17-year produce industry member who grew up on the Los Angeles Wholesale Market through his father's business there.
Sal Pelayo was scheduled to join Mr. Del Toro the week of June 26 as a salesman for the two-person office. Mr. Pelayo and his family have been farming grapes in Delano, CA, for many years. Sales and marketing will be handled out of the Los Angeles office; accounting will be handled in Nogales.
Mr. Del Toro said that the Los Angeles Wholesale Market is one of the busier ones in the nation, so it makes sense for Damon to open an office nearby.
"Being able to keep a pulse on that market will help the company," Mr. Del Toro said. "There's a great deal of companies that choose this [regional wholesale market] as a loading point."
Dick Keim, who manages an office for Damon in Vista, CA, had worked with Mr. Del Toro in the past, and it was he who had suggested to Mr. Del Toro that he contact Damon about running an office for the company.
"Ray has knowledge of avocados," Mr. Keim said. "He has import deals on product from Mexico, and he has a good working knowledge of the Los Angeles market."
Damon's proximity to the Los Angeles Wholesale Market will help in consolidating loads, Mr. Keim said.
Regarding Mr. Del Toro's background, Mr. Keim said that Mr. Del Toro has had the advantage of growing up in the Los Angeles market and that the more successful salespeople "are the ones who have been around it."
Mr. Keim said that opening the office would expand Damon's commodities offerings and help cater to customer requests for items that appeal to the tastes of Asians and Latinos. The office will help during the summer harvest season in Nogales.
"Often, customers are looking for a new item they can have at the retail level," Mr. Keim said.
Though Damon Distributing is well acquainted with the Los Angeles Wholesale Market and services customers in Los Angeles, the opening of its L.A. facility marks the first time Damon Distributing has opened an office in Los Angeles.
Ray Del Toro is sales manager of Damon's Los Angeles office. Mr. Del Toro is new to Damon but is a 17-year produce industry member who grew up on the Los Angeles Wholesale Market through his father's business there.
Sal Pelayo was scheduled to join Mr. Del Toro the week of June 26 as a salesman for the two-person office. Mr. Pelayo and his family have been farming grapes in Delano, CA, for many years. Sales and marketing will be handled out of the Los Angeles office; accounting will be handled in Nogales.
Mr. Del Toro said that the Los Angeles Wholesale Market is one of the busier ones in the nation, so it makes sense for Damon to open an office nearby.
"Being able to keep a pulse on that market will help the company," Mr. Del Toro said. "There's a great deal of companies that choose this [regional wholesale market] as a loading point."
Dick Keim, who manages an office for Damon in Vista, CA, had worked with Mr. Del Toro in the past, and it was he who had suggested to Mr. Del Toro that he contact Damon about running an office for the company.
"Ray has knowledge of avocados," Mr. Keim said. "He has import deals on product from Mexico, and he has a good working knowledge of the Los Angeles market."
Damon's proximity to the Los Angeles Wholesale Market will help in consolidating loads, Mr. Keim said.
Regarding Mr. Del Toro's background, Mr. Keim said that Mr. Del Toro has had the advantage of growing up in the Los Angeles market and that the more successful salespeople "are the ones who have been around it."
Mr. Keim said that opening the office would expand Damon's commodities offerings and help cater to customer requests for items that appeal to the tastes of Asians and Latinos. The office will help during the summer harvest season in Nogales.
"Often, customers are looking for a new item they can have at the retail level," Mr. Keim said.
