Trucco takes on the blueberry world
“When I first started working for Trucco, we were a small, dried fruit and nut company,” said Tony Biondo, a Trucco Inc. sales representative of more than 20 years.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Today, the Vineland, NJ-based company has transformed dramatically, boasting a 180,000 square foot facility, and an expanded product line that now includes kiwifruit, citrus, and, of course, blueberries — a venture led by Biondo himself.
In less than a decade, Trucco has skyrocketed from having no presence in the blueberry market to becoming one of the key players in the industry. “Tony and I discussed expanding our commodity line, and blueberries came up,” Nick Pacia, owner and CEO of the company said. “Tony volunteered to lead the program, electing to cold call farms directly to best serve Trucco’s clients.”
Biondo personally traveled to farms across the country connecting with farmers from Trucco’s home state of New Jersey all the way to Florida. “Originally, he was hesitant to work with us because he was burned financially by other companies from the northeast,” Biondo said of an Orlando-area farmer. “That spring, blueberries were extremely tight, but Trucco was able to cover retail purchases, even when other distributers were not able to do so.”
Due to its excellent client service, reputation and business relationships, Trucco began to make a name for itself in the blueberry business. “From that point on, we gradually got larger and larger just like we did with our Kiwifruit business,” said Biondo. “I am proud to say that 2023 was our best year ever in blueberry sales.”
Harvesting blueberries starts around the second week of June in New Jersey and the Trucco team is really excited for the current season because the weather has been mild and should make for a great crop. But Biondo is quick to add that New Jersey farmers will have an uphill battle competing with lower price points coming out of the south as well as the fact that Northwestern blueberries are being harvested earlier than usual.
Last year, Trucco launched a program importing conventional and organic blueberries directly from Peru, and the company continues to source blueberries domestically as well, including, of course, from local New Jersey locations. “Once the New Jersey blueberry season starts, they are the preferred blueberry in the Northeast and even the Southeast and Midwest,” Biondo, said. “I could just be a biased Jersey guy talking, but I really do love the Jersey blueberry season.”
Biondo, who followed his father into the produce industry, has been with Trucco for 21 years. His father owned a fruit and produce store in Paterson, NJ, and had a close relationship with Sal Vacca, the previous owner of Trucco. Nick Pacia became owner in 2000, a year before Biondo started working at the company.
Pacia said working with Biondo and the rest of the team at Trucco has been an amazing journey thus far. “Tony has done an incredible job with the blueberry program,” said Pacia. We are excited to continue expanding the blueberry category, strengthening our customer relationships and bringing even more high-quality blueberries to retail consumers.”
