Albert Perez, managing partner of Continental Fresh LLC, based in Coconut Grove, FL, said he has built the firm’s business by putting together several niche deals from various South American and Central American suppliers.

One such deal is with the “Suemi” brand of mangos from Brazil, while another involves cucumbers, watermelons and hard squashes from Honduras.

“We tend to have niche seasonal deals with different growers,” said Perez. “We’d like to have more but what ties them together is the quality of product and the quality of grower. It’s not easy to find the best growers, but that’s what we are looking for.”

While the company does have a few smaller mango deals from various countries all year long, it hangs its hat on the Brazilian mangos that it represents.

“We represent the ‘Suemi’ brand, which is grown in the Petrolina area in Brazil,” said Perez. “The mangos are grown by Mr. Suemi, who is so proud of them that he puts his name on the box.”

Perez said the “Suemi” brand is well recognized as one of the better mango brands from Brazil, which is why Continental Fresh specializes in Brazilian mangos.

While the Florida-based importer is expecting similar volume this year to last, he said the crop is going to have to “hurry up” to ship the expected 5 million cartons into the United States.

“We are least a couple of weeks behind schedule,” he told The Produce News Sept. 8.

By this time of the year, Perez said Continental Fresh should be receiving heavy volume of Brazilian mangos, but this year on that date it was only selling its first container, which arrived a few days earlier.

He said cold, rainy weather in Brazil had delayed the crop this year, but he was hopeful that volume would soon increase significantly.

“We should have peak volume through October and into November,” he said.

The Continental Fresh executive was hopeful that the late start would mean an extension on the back end of the deal to make up for the lost time. He said it all depends on whether Ecuador, the next mango-producing region, would also be slow in getting started.

“We’ve heard they may be late, so that will help us,” said Perez.

Though the gap between the end of the Mexican deal and the beginning of Brazil had led to a strong market with relatively high prices, approaching double-digits per carton, Perez said fall is still usually a good time to promote mangos.

“Mangos have become one of those items that is promoted year round,” he said.

He added that Continental Fresh is working with another of retailers to launch some good promotions in October when the volume increases.

Perez also was excited about his trip to the Dominican Republic this past summer. Every year for the past 31 years since he was a teenager and had gone to that Caribbean country on a school project, Perez has returned to help the local people. Each year he leads a contingent of volunteers who construct aqueducts to carry water from sources to rural communities in the countryside.

“We built two aqueducts this summer,” he said of the very satisfying work. “Typically we go down for two weeks, but this year I spent a month.”

With tongue firmly in cheek, Perez said if the West Coast drought continues he may have to take his aqueduct-building crew to California next summer. But he added seriously that providing water to those that do not have it is very rewarding. It is a very valuable commodity whether in the fertile lands of California or the rural communities of the Dominican Republic.

He said it is very fulfilling to help a small poor community receive running water for the first time. It literally changes the lives of the residents and empowers the community to be self-sufficient. When he can, Perez likes to involve his customers and suppliers in his effort.

“This year one of my customers, Service Grocers, sent his niece with us,” he said. “It was a great experience.”