Ben B. Schwartz opened its doors in 1906, and has been evolving and growing ever since. When the railroad built a terminal market in Detroit in the late 1920s, the company received the first load that was ever delivered there.

Being known as a full-line house of high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables isn’t new to the company, but what is booming is the greenhouse product that is flowing through its doors.

“Greenhouse produce is in higher demand than ever,” said Nate Stone, chief operating officer for company, which is located on the Detroit Terminal Market.

“Today there are so many wonderful tomato, cucumber and pepper varieties and options that people are just grabbing them up. And the quality is consistently great. Anyone who thinks that a greenhouse tomato today isn’t as flavorful as a field-grown one doesn’t know what he’s talking about. This category is booming for Ben B. Schwartz today.

“The snack items are particularly popular and growing in demand,” he continued. “Snack size sweet peppers, cherry and grape tomato varieties, mini cucumbers — these are all wonderful alternatives to candy and junk food for not only kids but also adults today, and they’ve caught on quickly.”

Another evolvement that has occurred within the company over the past decade or so is that the median age of its staff is now in the 30s.

Among the newest of the younger generation is Jake Billmeyer, a standard bearer of the fourth generation and the son of President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Billmeyer. Jake Billmeyer graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in business administration prior to joining the company in 2009, and Stone said he is as focused and motivated as his father.

“These young people are coming on board with technology, which I believe will set a new pace for the industry in the future,” said Stone. “But they are also bringing fresh, current and forward thinking.”

Stone noted that no one wants to see people suffer through a blizzard like the Polar Vortex that swept across the nation in early January. “But these types of weather systems are always great for business because people panic buy for fear of not having what they need to sustain themselves and their families in a worst case scenario,” he said. “It was hard on trucks and some people had a hard time getting to work. But the worst of it was over in a couple of days and things were getting back to normal. It was also really tough on firefighters, police and other first responders. You just have to go slow and give yourself more time to get where you’re going so you get there safely.”

Stone noted that with perishables, if they’re not consumed they perish. And so those people who did panic buy in the produce departments had to go back out and replenish their fresh produce, which kept the industry moving well on both the front and back sides of the weather upheaval.

One pipe did burst at the terminal market during the storm, but Stone said it was quickly under control and there was absolutely no damage done.

Stone said that the working atmosphere at the company is conducive to hard work, but the close-knit and supportive staff members work like a well-oiled machine, and they take pride in a job well done.

Ben B. Schwartz services regional customers and moves product into Canada.

“We’re doing business all over,” Stone said. “The company is poised to move into the next generation.”