Produce in Philadelphia is big business.

So big, in fact, that the City of Brotherly Love is home to the world’s largest fully-enclosed, fully-refrigerated wholesale produce terminal — the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market.

At 686,000 square feet, the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market offers cold-chain protection for fruits and vegetables, and its merchants carry a full line of produce in support of the local foodservice industry and grocery business.

As shoppers continue to seek out packaged produce, Philadelphia-based Ryeco supports customers by offering more in this area. “With labor and supply chain issues, the prepackaged food business is increasing and will continue doing so,” said Filindo Colace, vice president of operations for Ryeco. “Finding good labor will continue to be difficult. Supply chain constraints will continue to be challenging. We see retailers, foodservice and consumers looking for more prepackaged foods and produce.”

As long-time merchants on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, TMK Produce has experienced the ups and downs of the business. The company is pleased to see things starting to get on track again after some uncertainty caused by COVID-19 these past two years.

As a third-generation family business — and one of the original companies to take occupancy on the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market — Pinto Bros. Inc. is a company customers flock to in fulfilling their produce needs.

Pinto Bros.’ storage space has increased over time, which has helped it increase the number of items it can offer to customers. That’s a good thing, because in 2022 the company has been plenty busy.

The Vena family’s roots in the Philadelphia produce industry date back more than a century. It’s a legacy that John Vena, president of John Vena Inc., is committed to keep going strong.

J&K Fresh, a division of 721 Logistics, specializes in providing customs brokerage services to importers of fresh produce, working with various government agencies assisting produce importers in navigating through the multi-layered clearance process.

The process requires pertinent and current knowledge of CBP border security, customs entry, agriculture quarantine, food and drug including bioterrorism and food safety, and coordination with the inspection facilities and logistic providers.