Nash Produce touting North Carolina sweet potatoes at New York Produce Show

Nash Produce will once again be a major player at the upcoming New York Produce Show, as company president Thomas Joyner will be taking advantage of every opportunity that the show has to offer. 

“This is an important opportunity for us, since we will be able to interact with current customers and also potential new customers,” said Robin Narron, sales support and marketing director for the Nashville, NC-based company. “Relationship building is an important part of the business and it is something we take pride in here at Nash Produce. Being an exhibitor will not only allow us to maintain current relationships but also cultivate new ones.”

This year, Nash Produce will be exhibiting at booth No. 439, displaying its locally grown North Carolina sweet potatoes.

“We will be displaying varieties such as the purple Murasaki, the white Bonita, along with the orange Covington,” Narron said. “We will also be displaying our value-added packaging options that we have available.”

Another highlight of the booth will be showing off the quality of the current crop of sweet potatoes. 

“With industry leading storage facilities, it allows us to provide high quality sweet potatoes year-round,” Narron said. “Being able to control temperature and humidity in these facilities is a major reason we can provide such high-quality sweet potatoes.” 

This event is important to Nash Produce because of the history the company has with the show. 

“This is a big show and retailers will be here from all over the country,” Narron said. “We want to show why we are one of the best and most innovative companies in the sweet potato industry. Hopefully, this will lead to expansion of our customer base.”

Plus, being able to network and make connections throughout the industry is a huge part of how Nash Produce has developed the business that it has today. 

“We want customers to know that we take this show seriously and we are there to cater to their needs,” Narron said.

With a wide range of value-added products ranging from steamers and micros to tray pack options and private label capabilities, the Nash Produce team wants customers to know that it can adapt to their needs.

“Our marketing and sales team do a tremendous job of conveying to customers the adaptability we provide here at Nash Produce,” Narron said. “Not only do we consider this a competitive advantage, but also, we consider the amount of volume we are able to pack year-round another benefit in doing business with us.”

Weeks before the show, Nash Produce’s sales and marketing team started developing a strategy to set up face-to-face meetings with current customers and potentially new ones. 

“We want to be able to put a name with a face and get to know retailers on a personal level,” Narron said. “Interacting with current customers and potential new customers makes this show a success, regardless of whether we pick up a new customer or not. Having a presence there is a huge deal, because we eventually might work with a customer down the road even if it’s not immediately.”

Nash Produce offers state-of-the-art storage, packing and transportation services, while maintaining deep-rooted relationships with its grower base to supply the highest-quality product year-round. 

“Our facility and dedicated team of local growers and employees enable us to dependably supply sweet potatoes to retail, foodservice and processing facilities,” Narron said. “2023 has been good to us so far. Business has stayed steady which is a good thing when you think about the industry decreasing in acres for the upcoming year. As far as growth initiatives, we want to ensure customers that we are continuously innovating through marketing strategies and improving the customer experience.”