A great example of this strategy is Mexican cactus pears, one of the commodities Catania Worldwide has developed over the years. Amodeo said that the company’s goal is to bring more awareness and education about cactus pears and continuously grow this commodity year after year. “It is a refreshing and delicious fruit, and we want everyone to taste it,” he said. “Cactus pears, for many years, was a product grown and dominated in California. About four to five years ago, those ranches were all converted into other commodities. Mexican cactus pears have a very strong season, which allowed us to jump on the opportunity and take advantage of it due to our strong infrastructure in Mexico.”“Our customers typically expect larger sizes but, unfortunately this year the standards will have to change,” he explained. “It is predicted that the cactus pears will be more medium sized. What has not changed is the quality and taste, which have been exceptional. Although we have been challenged early in the season, we are expecting improvement throughout the season. We always try to stay ahead of the game and keep our customers informed and educated about any changes.”
It is the company’s experience working with cactus pears for more than two decades that gives it an edge over the competition, Amodeo said. “We understand the crop and what varieties our market will be receptive to and what it will not,” he said. “Since we are involved from crop to distribution, we are always able to stay ahead of the curve. Our team is constantly researching and educating ourselves on the select commodities to do. Combined with our exceptional level of QA and customer service, it helps us stand out. Our passion, curiosity and commitment drive us to be successful.”
That should also play well with future growth plans. “The past years we have grown as a company immensely and we plan to consistently grow year after year,” Amodeo said. “We want to expand our product line as well as grow further in the select commodities that we already do. Most importantly, always staying consistent in our quality and taste. We want to maintain our good relationships with our current customers and build new relationships with new customers.”
