“So far, everything has looked good this season,” said Jimmy Myrick, vice president of Edward L. Myrick Produce. “Business has been up and down at times due to certain conditions, but overall, I would say we’ve had a good year business-wise.”
When the company first came to Michigan, it took over a company that was already there, so existing relationships were already stablished and it was introduced to the community by the sellers, making it a very smooth transition.
“It’s been important for us because it fills in the gaps we had in the summertime where we didn’t have our own product, and now we do,” Myrick said. “We represent a great group of farmers up there who do an excellent job and supply our customers with some of the highest quality produce around.”
Michigan was always a state that the company kept an eye on, so when it was presented with that opportunity three years ago, they were quick to make it official.
“It’s been a good move for us,” Myrick said. “Back when my father started this company, everything was very seasonal. But that’s kind of gone away in the last 15 years. Everyone is more of a year-round supplier now.”
Now that Edward L. Myrick Produce has become an even bigger player in the state, the company has realized it’s a very close-knit community in the produce sector, which Myrick feels is a good thing for the industry.
“It’s a very special place for produce,” Myrick said. “The state of Michigan has a lot of different soil types. They have tons of different items a lot of other areas don’t have. They have everything from cherries to asparagus to apples, peaches and a full line of veg. The product line out of Michigan is very diverse and they do a beautiful job there.”
The Michigan season is expected to start a little later in 2025 than last year, which Myrick attributes to the cooler weather.
“Last year was very warm at this time and the crop came earlier than usual,” he said. “I would say this year will be more a traditional start time—end of June, early July. Right now, the crops look good, though you always worry about weather and other events that can change that. But we hope to have everything on schedule with a good crop and a good season.”
Like most in the industry, the company is dealing with some labor issues and are hoping that things get easier sooner rather than later.
“That’s the biggest challenge for all these farmers,” Myrick said. “Labor expenses have gotten really exorbitant, and they have to figure out something to relieve some of these farmers of these huge labor bills they need to pay year after year.”
The customer base for Edward L. Myrick Produce is diverse, as it sells to everyone from little mom-and-pop roadside stands all the way up to chain stores and wholesalers.
“We work with a lot of companies, and we try to help everyone achieve their goals while helping our farmers,” Myrick said.
“We’re trying to stay competitive and be up on what’s happening in the industry.”
