Exp Group strides to be better than the year before

Exp Group, one of the go-to importers and marketers of tropical and Latin items, has more than four decades of experience which has kept its name in the produce spotlight.

The multinational company is comprised of several segments, including Exp Logistics, Exp Bananas and Exp Serafino, and is known for delivering and distributing produce from Central and South America.

“We have a lot of things cooking up with Viva Fresh coming up soon, and we see a lot of fun things happening in the produce industry,” said Anthony Serafino, executive vice president and principal of the North Bergen, NJ-based company. “Business has been very strong.”

So far in 2024, Exp Group has had a great start, with some stabilization of some markets, and some items trending back to pre-COVID-19 levels.

“Shipping has been the biggest thing that we’ve seen with stabilization, which has been long-awaited,” Serafino said. “The logistical costs were getting out of control for a few years, but now we’re seeing that centralization with those costs.”

Exp Group does warn that the industry is potentially entering a period of stagflation in terms of pricing of commodities, and that is something Serafino noted people need to be mindful of.

“Although logistical costs have gone down, we’re not seeing pricing on certain items follow in terms of certain commodities,” Serafino said. “The one thing that the consumer can be very cognitive of is more destabilization of these costs, and we’re trying to provide the best possible price for our customers and negotiate the best possible price at source.”

Still, he remains very optimistic about what’s in play for the company based on the plans the company has in its pipeline.

One of the secrets of Exp Group’s success is that it’s always delving into new commodities and meeting the needs of its customers.

“I think every produce house prides themselves on being an A-Z house, and that has always been a goal for our company — to carry a full line of produce,” Serafino said. “Every year that goes by, we sit in our internal meetings and decide how we can do more.”

It’s something that Serafino and his father expresses to the team each year, “How can we better than we were last year.”

“That’s what makes Exp Group a unique company,” Serafino said. “We are always looking to grow, push the envelope and our clients can see us as a one-stop shop.”

Being not too far from Hunts Point, the company has a lot of clients at the produce market, and it’s important to Exp Group’s success.

“We pride ourselves on serving generational companies, and many of the companies there have been there a long time,” Serafino said. “There’s so much history there and seeing your trucks in a market that’s rich with history, it’s such an honor to see it.”

About a year ago, Exp Group launched its second location in McAllen, TX, adding a 50,000-square-foot facility.

“It’s a great logistical point for us with Mexican commodities, helping us service some of our clients in the Midwest, the Southeast and the Western portions of the United States,” Serafino said. “We are penetrating markets we haven’t really penetrated in the past. We’re looking at opportunities and taking advantage of them.”