Exp. Group LLC aims to celebrate at IFPA Global
Exp. Group LLC aims to celebrate at IFPA Global
Exp. Group LLC is marking its 20th anniversary in October, and the renowned importer and distributor of tropical fruits is taking every opportunity it can to celebrate that milestone, including at this year’s IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show.
“Our goal is really to talk about our growth into foodservice and different sectors of supply in the produce industry and doing that extremely well,” said Anthony Serafino, president of the North Bergen, NJ-based company. “We’ll talk about our expansion and what we’re doing to better serve our clients and our customers, and we’re very excited to have our biggest IFPA yet. We’re bringing over 20 team members to IFPA, so that’s very exciting and we’re looking forward to it.”
In addition to Serafino, various members of the Exp. Group leadership team will be at booth No. 2355, including CEO Emil Serafino; Chief Operating Officer Fraymil Rodríguez; Chief Financial Officer Mario Diaz; Director of New York Operations Jenry Pena; and Director of Texas Operations Jesus Cavazos. Representatives from the company’s West Coast team will be on hand as well.
“We’re bringing everyone,” Serafino said. “We’re trying to do everything we can to make a presence. Exp. Group was founded in October of 2005, so 20 years later, we feel it’s time for our biggest booth setup. All the different sectors of our business are growing — we’re growing in retail, foodservice and wholesale, of course. But most importantly, it’s our 20th year and we really want to expand on that and bring our biggest presence, because it showcases everything we’ve done and what we’re looking forward to over the next 20.”
Serafino said the show is giving Exp. Group an opportunity to showcase all aspects of its business.
“We want to emphasize that we are a global brand and a national company in the United States,” he said. “That’s something we like to focus on in our booth setup. These are things that allow companies like ours to be successful. We like to preach our culture, our character, our common sense. We have our pillars — quality, service, brand and culture. Those are the four things that make up our company, and we’re going to showcase them more than ever in our 20th year.”
When it comes to trends, Serafino is seeing the industry face numerous challenges, including scarcity of some items, such as plantains, as well as quality issues. He also said that tariffs are going to start impacting the consumer side as it gets more expensive for companies like Exp. Group to receive merchandise.
“We’re seeing tariffs being moreso passed onto the consumer, so we’re seeing how the consumer is going to react,” Serafino said. “So far consumers have been pretty resilient, but absorbing the tariffs has really been on the importer. Companies like us have absorbed a lot of it, and there’s less reluctance to pass that cost down now.”
Exp. Group has the experience and expertise to continue providing its partners and consumers with quality and healthy fruits and vegetables, and that makes networking at events like the IFPA vital in the current climate.
“We love networking, it’s the most important piece of our industry,” Serafino said. “Any time you bring in different parts of the business together in one setting, it’s super-duper beneficial. That’s what we’re looking forward to the most. For me, the networking piece is the best part of our industry.”
