Joe Fierman and fiancée Casey Smith, one minute before he proposed marriage under the Broken Arch at Arches National Park in Moab, UT.

Joe Fierman believes that a family produce business chooses you for a career, you don’t necessarily choose it.

At age 26, the multi-talented fourth-generation family member of Fierman Produce Exchange Inc., located on the Hunts Point Terminal Market in the Bronx, NY, said no one wakes up one morning and suddenly says to himself, “Oh wow, I get to sell 400 boxes of lettuce today.”

What he did realize one day about four years ago was that joining his family business was meant to be.

Hans, Joe Fierman’s Weimaraner, decked out for the photo by his master.Today he works in sales on the floor, or walk as it’s commonly called, intent on helping to drive the company to even greater success than the generations he follows have accomplished.

That’s a big goal, given the company is already a highly progressive and successful full-line house specializing in potatoes and onions. Fierman said it’s probably the largest potato house on the East Coast.

“I’m inspired every day,” he told The Produce News. “I have the guidance and leadership of my uncle, Joel Fierman, president of the company; my father, William Fierman, or Billy as he’s best known; and another uncle, Marc Fierman, who works at night. I could not have asked for a more talented, experienced, hard-working and determined group of people to teach me about this business.”

The produce business wasn’t always on his mind, however. Fierman graduated from Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL, in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and public relations and a minor in graphic design. And his talents outside of the produce industry are testaments to where his heart was — and still is in his spare time. He is highly talented at airbrush art and is an avid photographer.

He explained that after graduating from college, and without connections in the fields he had studied, he faced some challenges finding a job.

“My dad and uncles were happy when I expressed an interest in joining the company,” said Fierman. “I worked here during summer breaks from school in numerous positions such as a porter unloading trucks, doing deliveries and with the sales staff. It was beneficial to have had that experience when I came on board full time.”

Technology now in place at Hunts Point is good, but Fierman said it also takes street smarts and knowledge of how to talk to potential buyers who are walking the walk.Joe Fierman concentrating intently on an airbrush painting.

“No one teaches you how to grab someone in 10 seconds and draw them in,” Fierman pointed out. “It’s a part of your gut or it’s not. I jump right in with questions like, ‘What do you need for your store today? Where are you located? Are you currently sourcing from another place in the country? Can I show you how I can save you a little money?’

“It’s like having a lemonade stand on Interstate-95,” he continued. “You have to know what you’re talking about. A strong sales staff is more important than anything, and ours is really strong.”

Fierman also has a fiancée, Casey Smith, who shares in his love of photography. One outstanding photo he took now represents a major milestone in their lives together.

In November 2014, they were in Arches National Park in Moab, UT. Fierman set up the tripod, took Casey by the hand and they stood beneath the Broken Arch, backs facing the camera. As soon as the photo was taken he pulled a ring out of his pocket and proposed.

The wedding is planned for Nov. 7 at Lyndhurst Castle in Tarrytown, NY, a gothic revival-style mansion designed in 1838 by the renowned American architect A.J. Davis.

The couple also enjoys traveling. About twice a year, when Casey has time off from her job as an assistant principal at a Bronx high school, they travel to some unique place, bringing their camera equipment with them.

“We always consider places that will give us great photo opportunities,” said Fierman. “We recently returned from celebrating Casey’s birthday in Switzerland. She wanted to ski the Matterhorn and at St. Moritz. The local food was fantastic. One night we went to an Italian restaurant situated at the very tip of a mountain and enjoyed a view as outstanding as the food.

“We like to stay busy when we travel, and so we do both the cities and the outskirts to take in as much as possible,” he continued. “We have been to Iceland, Germany, Vancouver and other places, and we plan to go to Alaska in the future.”

The honeymoon plans aren’t yet confirmed, but under serious consideration is a photo safari in Cape Town, South Africa, as well as a plane ride to Antarctica, just a few hours away.

There is also Hans, Fierman’s Weimaraner dog, a German breed known for having sharp hunting skills.

“Hans goes everywhere with us,” he said. “He’s two years old and truly a man’s best friend kind of dog.”

Fierman’s great-grandfather, Joseph Fierman, founded the company in 1928. Today, its customers include the full range of produce buyers from all industry segments. And it has its own brands, “Marc & Bill’s” for potatoes and “Fierman Cheetah” for onions.

“This and pricing within the market range is a major pull that keeps our customers coming back,” said Fierman. “A quarter difference can keep or lose a client.”

He noted that the Hunts Point Terminal Market is probably the most competitive market in the world. “Customer-wise, every company there eats from the same pie,” he said. “And we’re all competing for the same slice.”

Fierman noted that you can always move more product, so it’s important to make sure supplies are coming in continually so you’re not holding from day to day.

On the future of Hunts Point Terminal Market, Fierman thinks that five or six major businesses will drive it into the future.

“Everyone wants to do the very best they can, but we have to wait and see how things evolve,” he said. “In the meantime, everyone at our company is on the same page. We’re a great and sharp team, and I learn something new and from a different perspective from them every day.”