“The berry category continues to grow for us,” Dominic Russo, buyer and sales associate for Rocky Produce Inc., located on the Detroit Produce Terminal, told The Produce News. “The entire berry category — blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries — is doing extremely well. We’re currently bringing them in from Chile and Argentina, and we source domestically when they are available. Strawberries are coming out of Florida [mid-January]. The quality is great and prices are really good. The category has received so much positive attention related to nutrition that the demand is going nowhere but up.”

Rocky Produce accommodates customers with a variety of pack sizes, which change frequently depending on customers’ needs.

The company is also bringing peapods, asparagus, mangos, sno peas and snap peas from South America.

Mr. Russo said that Mexico was beginning to ramp up on its seasonal movement in mid-January, but Peru was wrapping up.

He noted that the company offers an extensive list of options today.

“We’re selling a ton of lettuce products, such as spring mixes, arugula, baby mixes and so many more,” said Mr. Russo. “Mangos and papayas are very strong. Green and red grapes from Chile, peaches, nectarines, plums, all also from South America, are in strong demand. The South American program will run strongly until April.”

Mr. Russo represents the third generation in the family-owned business. The company was founded by his grandfather, Dominic, and his brother, Rocky Russo, in 1957. The company relocated to the terminal market in the 1970s. Mr. Russo’s father, Jack, is the president of the company today, and he is joined in ownership by his brother, Ronnie, and his cousins, Rocky Jr. and Tom Russo.

Today about 15 family members in Mr. Russo’s generation work in the company, which includes cousins and in-laws.

“Having so many family members working together is a great asset in that we all know that we’re united and pushing toward the future together,” said Mr. Russo. “Besides the value to be had working with family members, it’s also fun.”

The company’s customer base is predominantly in the suburbs surrounding Detroit, but it also sells to wholesalers in the city.

“Metro Detroit consumers are really big on fresh produce,” said Mr. Russo. “Today the city is represented by many different ethnic groups. Social media, cooking shows and magazines are all contributing to these people being more interested in their ethnic foods and wanting to prepare them in their homes. They are proud of their backgrounds and they want to keep the ethnicity alive for future generations.”

He explained that downtown Detroit has a very interesting culture today, and that, like any major city, there are pockets where crime is high. The main areas of the city, however, are beautiful and perfectly safe for residents and consumers alike.

Rocky Produce is now working out of its new sales office.

“We’re in the same location that we were in the past, but we felt a need to have new administrative and sales spaces,” said Mr. Russo. “We made the change in late summer 2012, and we’re very comfortable in the new offices.”