“Our growing areas are highly diversified which enables us to offer a diverse menu of specialty products to our customers,” said Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for Southern Specialties, headquartered in Pompano Beach, FL. “We believe that it’s important to work from the ground up, and as a grower, importer, processor and shipper of specialty products we can bring these high quality items to our customers year-round.”

Its wide variety of packaging formats range from bulk to club store size to value-added microwavable retail packs that provide convenience to fulfill customers’ individual needs.

Besides its own retail brand names, which include “Southern Selects” and “Today’s Gourmet.” The company’s Fair Trade-certified French Beans are available under the “Today’s Gourmet” label. Southern Specialties also fulfills private label programs.

Eagle noted that Southern Specialties has full quality-assurance, food-safety and traceability initiatives in place, and it stays ahead of the curve with these programs. Recognizing increasing consumer interest and customer demand, it also entered the Fair Trade-certified and Rainforest Alliance-certified categories.

The company services everything from fine dining foodservice operations to homemakers who are preparing meals at home.

“We are a leader in the asparagus category offering year-round supplies of green, white and purple from major producing areas,” he said. “Southern Specialties has also pioneered french beans. Ours are hand-trimmed on the stem end, leaving the pointed tip that indicates they are a true French Haricots Verts’ variety.”

It also does a major business with sugar snap peas, sno peas and hand-peeled rainbow baby carrots, and the company constantly trials new items.

Southern Specialties offers year-round blackberry and blueberry programs, and it is excited about a new addition to its berry line this year: “We recently introduced Adelita raspberries,” said Eagle. “This variety was nine years in the making in Mexico to perfect the variety.

“Our menu of fruits also includes large papaya, Golden papaya, mangos, starfruit and a Guatemalan lime program,” he continued. “And we recently introduced our ‘Southern Selects’ Asparagus Tenders in a stand-up microwave steam pouch. This new presentation features trimmed asparagus spears with the tough bottom portion removed. European designed packaging technology allows the asparagus to actually steam perfectly in the pouch while being microwaved. The result is fantastic flavor because they are cooked in a true steam environment.”

“Southern Selects” Asparagus Tenders in the steam pouch are available in either six- or 12-count boxes, furthering the company’s already outstanding value-added retail presentations.

“Our wide range of specialty products are grown in Central America, South America, Mexico, Canada and the U.S.,” said Eagle, who added that the company distributes to all corners of North America.