Following a temporary move to adjacent offices at Hunts Point Produce Market, S. Katzman Produce Inc. didn’t miss a beat getting back to business. The fast move was caused by water and smoke damage to the company’s facility when a fire broke out at Mendez International Tropical Foods, located next to S. Katzman, last November.

“About 95 percent of the damage we suffered was due to water used by the fire department to extinguish the blaze, and about five percent was soot damage,” said Stefanie Katzman, the fourth generation family member to work at S. Katzman Produce Inc. “We occupy units 153 to 157 on Row A for produce, and Mendez has unit 152, so it was inevitable that we would have some backlash from it.”

The company also occupies units 260 through 265 on Row B for its berries and fruit programs, and on Row D it has units 423 through 428, which are used for its specialties’ line.

“The renovations are now completed and we are back to normal,” said Katzman. “We did lose a little office space but we just restructured by moving some personnel to other rows and setting up offices there.”

She also noted that the company’s outstanding staff jumped right in without delay helping to make the changes caused by the fire a short glitch in the company’s business. The staff includes Andrew Brantley, buying and sales, fruit department; Rick Romano, buying and sales, western vegetables; John Guerra, buying and sales, eastern vegetables; Felix LaManna, buying and sales, specialties and foodservice; Edward Tirado and Miguel Jimenez, both in buying and sales, tropical; Mario Andreani, buying and sales, tomatoes; Amin Panjwani, buying and sales, potatoes and onions; and Larry Schembri and Tom Linaris, both in buying and sales, berries.

“We must also give shout-outs to Paul Jaffa, our assistant facility manager, Louis Pecora, our facility manager, Chris Heffelfinger, our operations manager in the warehouse and Anthony Sooklall, our maintenance manager,” Katzman added.

Excitement continues to loom at S. Katzman over its “Bloom Fresh” private label that was launched last year. “Bloom Fresh” fruits and vegetables are aimed at taking the mystery out of produce by providing the consumer with information about where their produce comes from through the company’s “Bloom Fresh” website, www.bloomfreshproduce.com.

“This continues to be a major focus for us,” said Katzman. “Instead of large multinational companies, ‘Bloom Fresh’ brings consumers fruits and vegetables direct from the farm.”

The company has always established long-term relationships with its growers. The website provides information about the farms and the farmers, which helps to provide the stability they require to have sustainable, independent farming businesses.

The “Bloom Fresh” label started by appearing on S. Katzman’s French beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas and baby squashes grown outside the town of Antigua, Guatemala by Antonio Maldonado.

The website features Maldonado who has been farming in the Guatemalan highlands for over 20 years. Today, his son, Antonio Jr., farms with him, taking more and more of the day to day responsibilities. “Bloom Fresh” is S. Katzman’s commitment to ensuring that famers like them get fair returns.

The company also uses the “Bloom Fresh” label along with the “Grown in Idaho” potato stamp.

The Katzman family has been in the wholesale produce distribution business for three generations. Samuel Katzman’s innovation of bunching greens in the 1920’s began the family business. The hard work and determination that started with selling vegetables off of a horse and wagon led Katzman to become one of the largest produce operations in the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx.

The customer base has grown and now reaches the entire Northeast of the United States plus international customers in Canada, Europe and the North Atlantic.

The company services retailers, distributors, caterers, restaurants and gourmet outlets with the full range of both organic and conventional fruits and vegetables.

“The weather was the biggest challenge during the past winter,” Katzman noted. “It delayed inbound trucks on several occasions. But we’re happy to leave winter behind and move forward to a great spring and summer.

“Our main focus, as always, continues to be service,” she continued. “The one thing that customers can count on is that S. Katzman will be here to support its growers and to supply customers the very best produce and service possible.”