
Community Suffolk is a dependable fourth generation business
With almost a century of experience behind it, Community Suffolk understands the keys to success and keeping customers happy.
Its customer base includes an almost even mix of retail and wholesale clients, and company representatives take great pride in the longstanding relationships they have cultivated with both growers and shippers.
The company’s primary products include carrots, cabbage, onions, broccoli, celery, potatoes, lettuce, romaine hearts, green onions, leaf lettuce, lemons, limes and oranges, along with a selection of Chinese vegetables and greenhouse-grown items.
“We’ve grown with a reputation that we might not handle everything, but what we do handle, we like to handle the best labels and provide good value in those lines,” said Steven Piazza, the long-time president of the company. “We provide good product at a fair price consistently.”
Community Suffolk moved from the Boston Market terminal to a new state-of-the-art warehouse at 95 Market Street outside of the market in 2021, and has undergone many updates to the facility since the switch. For instance, the citrus division, run by Jackie and his daughter Gianna Piazza, underwent an updated $1 million state-of-the-art refrigeration, cooling and racking system that was recently completed.
“We were very scared at first, but with the modern racking systems we installed and the systems we have in place for getting stuff in and out of here, things have been tremendously efficient,” Piazza said. “It makes us better buyers, better sellers and just more efficient all around. It’s been a wonderful, wonderful move.”
Piazza has seen many changes over his years in the biz, most notably those designed to make things better for customers and the business alike.
“We’re using more mixed trucks today, instead of having a full load of X, Y and Z on a Sunday night, we’ll have three half-and-halfs, and another three half-and-halfs on a Tuesday or Wednesday,” Piazza said. “With the salespeople working more diligently together, and our truck brokerage friends keeping track of our trucks, it’s helps us maintain our package count.”
This year has been a strong one for the company, with Piazza noting things have fully rebounded from the pandemic and there have been growth opportunities that it has taken advantage of.
Piazza enjoys working in the New England area, and noted that has played a big role in the success of the company over its 97 years.
“The population continues to diversify; growing up, there was a heavy Italian and Jewish population here, and now it’s really gentrified, and people demand a mixed-bag of products that we can deliver,” he said. “It could be a little Spanish bodega in downtown Chelsea or the market across the street. Boston has a very educated palate, too, so you need to provide good quality ingredients and good quality options at all times.”
The Community Suffolk team is comprised of Steven, David, Tommy, Jackie and Gianna Piazza, as well as Johnny Michaels, Victor Pavao and Christian DeMato.
Piazza noted the team is key to the future and the company is set to move forward with its seasoned sales professionals as well as its young sales associates who are prepared for any and all challenges.
“I am very optimistic going into 2025,” he said. “2024 ended up being a very good year, and with continued hard work, we expect 2025 to be just as strong.”