Guatemalan exporter serves Texas retailer via direct deal
Guatemalan exporter serves Texas retailer via direct deal
Baby Fresh of Guatemala is enjoying robust sales through a direct deal in shipping prepackaged baby vegetables to the Central Market chain, which is owned by H.E. Butt Grocery Co., headquartered in San Antonio, TX.
Baby Fresh owner Antonio Maldonado told The Produce News Sept. 7 that his sales are strong in the upscale six-store Texas chain, which has locations in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Plano and Dallas.
Speaking from his office in Guatemala City, Mr. Maldonado said, "The owner, Mr. Butt, says the Central Market stores are like Neiman-Marcus, the top-of-the-line department store. I am very happy to be going direct to HEB, which is changing its image to be an upper-scale supermarket.
The mentality of Central Market is they want to have direct relationships with the grower," he added. So we stood in line for two years in trying to have a relationship with them.
Mr. Maldonado said that his success in direct sales was boosted a year ago when his Dallas-based nephew, John Bacon, opened Baby Fresh USA in a partnership to represent the Guatemalan company in Texas.
We are shipping sno peas, sugar snaps, french beans and baby vegetables in prepacks and in bulk, Mr. Maldonado said. This has been successful, but it is only the beginning. This type of opportunity you don't get too many times in your lifetime. We work to do everything the best we can to maintain the quality and consistency.
Mr. Maldonado, who noted that he is competing with California grower-shippers, said that he enjoys excellent service on Continental Airlines in shipping the firms products to Houston.
Mr. Maldonado, who has been a Guatemalan produce exporter for 20 years, also ships his product to Team Produce in Miami, which is owned Mike Parr. Mr. Maldonados brother, Martin Maldonado, also works for Team Produce, where I have a direct relationship that is like a partnership. They take excellent care of my product.
Mr. Maldonado also ships to Transamerica in Miami, which is owned by Stanley Yu.
Baby Fresh exports Guatemalan vegetables throughout the year, though the rainy season slows export volume. On October 15, we will start strong again. But we never stop shipping, Mr. Maldonado said.
Baby Fresh owner Antonio Maldonado told The Produce News Sept. 7 that his sales are strong in the upscale six-store Texas chain, which has locations in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Plano and Dallas.
Speaking from his office in Guatemala City, Mr. Maldonado said, "The owner, Mr. Butt, says the Central Market stores are like Neiman-Marcus, the top-of-the-line department store. I am very happy to be going direct to HEB, which is changing its image to be an upper-scale supermarket.
The mentality of Central Market is they want to have direct relationships with the grower," he added. So we stood in line for two years in trying to have a relationship with them.
Mr. Maldonado said that his success in direct sales was boosted a year ago when his Dallas-based nephew, John Bacon, opened Baby Fresh USA in a partnership to represent the Guatemalan company in Texas.
We are shipping sno peas, sugar snaps, french beans and baby vegetables in prepacks and in bulk, Mr. Maldonado said. This has been successful, but it is only the beginning. This type of opportunity you don't get too many times in your lifetime. We work to do everything the best we can to maintain the quality and consistency.
Mr. Maldonado, who noted that he is competing with California grower-shippers, said that he enjoys excellent service on Continental Airlines in shipping the firms products to Houston.
Mr. Maldonado, who has been a Guatemalan produce exporter for 20 years, also ships his product to Team Produce in Miami, which is owned Mike Parr. Mr. Maldonados brother, Martin Maldonado, also works for Team Produce, where I have a direct relationship that is like a partnership. They take excellent care of my product.
Mr. Maldonado also ships to Transamerica in Miami, which is owned by Stanley Yu.
Baby Fresh exports Guatemalan vegetables throughout the year, though the rainy season slows export volume. On October 15, we will start strong again. But we never stop shipping, Mr. Maldonado said.
