Ben B. Schwartz & Sons sees great opportunity to distribute Michigan produce to other regions
Ben B. Schwartz & Sons sees great opportunity to distribute Michigan produce to other regions
Ben B. Schwartz & Sons is having a great 2026 so far, building on its distribution growth last year, adding to the sales team and expanding its presence to the west side of Michigan.
“We’re lucky to be based in Michigan and have access to high-quality produce right from our backyard,” said Jordan Grainger, vice president of sales and business development for Ben B. “One of the cornerstones of our business is our local grower program, where we source a number of commodities from throughout Michigan. As we enter peak season, we look forward to taking advantage of even more locally grown produce.”
Michigan is known for its delicious cherry and apple varieties, and those commodities are always in high demand going into the summer.
“In the coming months, we also look forward to sourcing nutritious vegetables like cucumber, squash and zucchini from Michigan growers as well, which are staples throughout the summer and fall seasons,” Grainger said.
In terms of potato and onions, these categories have been influenced by this year’s growing conditions and freight rates.
“Russet potatoes have been holding steady, but we have seen an increase in pricing around colored potatoes and onions,” Grainger said.
It’s been a volatile start to 2026 in Michigan, with lingering cold snaps as well as surprisingly warm days, and heavy snow and rain fall. These weather conditions can absolutely impact the harvest season, but they’re not uncommon either.
“The Midwest is known to have unpredictable weather patterns, and farmers have gotten very adept at working with and around them,” Grainger said. “While flooding and late frost may have pushed some harvest timelines back, we don’t expect them to make a significant impact on this year’s growing season.”
In terms of trends, sustainability is a big one, and Ben B. is seeing it in a few different ways. “First, customers are looking to reduce plastic use and want packaging in eco-friendly and recyclable materials,” Grainger said. “When it comes to labeling, they also want to share more information about where the product was grown and if it was harvested with sustainable practices.”
Overall, the company has made great strides in the past few years to streamline operations, namely with its custom ERP platform.
“We’re also committed to getting nutritious fruits and vegetables into the hands of those who need them most and are excited to continue our ongoing partnership with Sharing Excess to donate produce to community programs,” Grainger said.
In recent years, value-add services have been a big addition to Ben B.’s offerings and one it continues to focus on.
“We want to deliver product to our customers exactly how they need it, and absorbing the work ourselves makes it easy and cost-effective for them,” Grainger said. “We also want to leverage technology where we can to streamline workflows. The fresh produce industry is an inherently human one driven by relationships, but using solutions like our custom ERP platform lets us create more order transparency and find ways to optimize the delivery process so our customers are getting produce at their absolute freshest.”
Given some uncertainties around tariffs and rising fuel costs, Ben B. feels there is a great opportunity to distribute Michigan-grown produce to even more regions throughout the country.
“If it’s easier and cheaper to transport and maintains the same level of quality and freshness people expect, then locally grown fruits and vegetables will likely increase in demand,” Grainger said. “For us, we’re looking forward to continuing the expansion of our distribution radius and getting the Ben B. brand in front of new customers. We pride ourselves on exceptional service, and look forward to serving even more retailers, restaurant and foodservice groups throughout the U.S.”
