It's all in the family at Rocky Produce

Rocky Produce’s strong reputation in Detroit is well earned. The distributor delivers its produce across Michigan and throughout the Midwest and the company is known for its expertise, dedication and a hard work.

After all, as a fourth-generation family-owned wholesale distributor, doing business on the Detroit Produce Terminal for more than 50 years, Rocky Produce knows what it takes to be a success.

“A lot of things change, and a lot of things remain the same — but it all happens at the same time,” said Dominic Russo, sales manager of Rocky Produce. “It all boils down to working hard and getting out in front of our customers and doing things with integrity.”

The company works with a full line of fruits and vegetables from local, domestic and international sources, and while it does a great deal in Detroit, its distribution area has expanded over the years to include retailers in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, South and even Ontario.

“We feel blessed to be able to sell produce each and every day to our customers and be able to work together with everyone who is part of Rocky Produce,” Russo said.

Last year was a good one for Rocky Produce and Russo expects that to carry over to 2023. “It was the first year post-COVID-19 and we are happier at the way 2023 sets up than last year,” he said. “Last year was close to normal and we expect this year to be normal and we can get back to not only maintaining what we do, but making plans for the future. That’s something we normally do at the beginning of each year, but we haven’t had those opportunities lately.”

There’s more than a dozen family members working for the company, and even those who are not blood, but have been part of the Rocky Produce team for years, are considered family.

“We know each other and we’re all held accountable by our fathers, uncles and cousins, so there’s an element of trust and reliability there,” Russo said. “Having that, the pros far outweigh the cons. I’m very happy to be able to work with my family members and extended family members.”

Rocky Produce has enjoyed working at the Detroit Terminal Market, and Russo noted the competition drives everyone to be better.

“Working on the market is great because it’s an opportunity for customers to come down and shop, not only for us, but our competitors, and it causes us to work hard and bring in the very best produce and serve our customers the best we can,” Russo said. “If we do that, we’ll always have the opportunity to make a sale and continue forward.”

He shares that the competition on the market can be tough, and customers are tough on quality and tough on price, so it creates a solid marketplace. “Some of our customers are more quality-driven, and that’s caused Detroit to be a high-quality region,” Russo said. “Then there are customers that are more value-driven who are looking for a price advantage to move and market more produce. They help us move older product or off-stuff.”

And being that Michigan goes through all four seasons, that means different menus of food choices and options, and that all adds to a creating a great produce town.