Several years ago when the East and West Coast partners in the family of companies tied to Vision Produce Co. launched Vision Produce Partners of Texas LLC, the goal was clearly defined: the Texas company would help source Mexican product and expand their reach south of the border.

Ben Brittain, executive vice president and managing partner of the Pharr, TX, operation, recently told The Produce News that the goal has remained in focus and on target.

In fact, Vision of Texas continues to expand its product line. Mangos were among the first items it sourced along with both lemons and limes. The company soon thereafter expanded into vegetables with a carrot deal, and this year it is adding cabbage, broccoli crowns and cauliflower to the mix, as well as expanding its lime deal.

The reason they are making this move is very simple, according to Brittain: “Diversification. That’s the best way to explain it.”

The expanded product list gives Brittain more products to service his customers and does the same for the firm’s sister companies: Vision Produce Co. in Los Angeles and Vision Import Group LLC, River Edge, NJ. “We complement each other very well,” Brittain said.

The sales people from all three companies sell their own lineup of products and also have access to the items sourced by the other two firms. Brittain said the collaboration among the three companies has been great since day one. “I couldn’t be happier. It’s worked out better than I would have ever expected.”

Brittain is joined in the Texas office by his son Ben Brittain Jr., Office Manager Mary Garza, and Ruben Gutierrez, who is also on the sales desk. In addition, Hugo Reza is the company’s procurement manager stationed in Mexico. Brittain said with such a small staff, the operation requires everyone doing a little bit of everything. For example, Ben Sr. handles both sourcing and sales. “I like to be involved in both,” he said. “It keeps you in the mix. It’s great to have a good feel at the sales end when you are sourcing.”

He added that his son, who has a decade of experience selling produce, is an invaluable member of the team, especially when Ben Sr. is traveling. “He knows my customers and can pick up the slack when I have to travel to Mexico to look at product.”

Talking on the first Monday of September, Brittain said Vision’s Mexican mango deal has been extended on the back end this year with increased supplies from Los Mochis, which is in the northern end of the state of Sinaloa and has the latest fruit every season. “We should have mangos from there through September and into October,” he said.

Brittain also expects very good supplies of both broccoli crowns and cabbage over the next several month. “We should have decent supplies of both moving forward.”

He wasn’t as optimistic about the cauliflower crop as mixed reports had him a bit skeptical about upcoming supplies.