Chuck Zambito, owner of Zambito Produce Sales in West Deptford, NJ, told The Produce News that the company is reaping some of the benefits that the cutting edge Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market has brought to companies in the area.

“The new market has been good in many ways,” said Mr. Zambito. “It has opened up many new markets. Many of the companies on the market have expanded their product lines because they have additional space. The cooling equipment and the unbroken cold chain keep fresh produce fresher, and that helps it to last longer. All of these great benefits ultimately help brokers like me to open new doors.”

Zambito Produce Sales handles potatoes, California navel oranges and onions. During the summer months it also does big business on mixed vegetables from upstate New York.

“As of mid-April, all signs were that New York growers, like others in the east, are likely on time with good-quality crops this year,” Mr. Zambito added. “The Florida potato market is slow this year, however, due to the wet weather growers there suffered.”

Fuel prices have leveled off somewhat this year, and so the railroad surcharge is not the major issue that it was last year.

“Railroads typically incorporate a surcharge,” he said. “When fuel prices are high it affects everything — from packaging, fertilizer, irrigation and everything else required to produce a crop. Railway surcharges charges are already high, and when fuel costs rise the combination of all of the higher expenses causes a major problem at the customer end. This year is not as bad as last year. We are trying to nail down some railway surcharges from California, which is really hard to do when fuel goes up because they don’t want to commit ahead of time.”

Zambito Produce Sales has been in business since the mid-1970s. Its customers are foodservice operators and wholesalers. Mr. Zambito said that many foodservice companies have consolidated over the past few years because of the economy.

“Among my primary foodservice customers are those who service casinos,” he said. “I also sell to companies at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, and I have customers from as far south as Maryland, north into New England and some in the Midwest.”

Mr. Zambito’s wife, Barbara (Bobbie), helps out in the business.

Mr. Zambito has been involved with the New Jersey Agriculture Society for about ten years. He now serves as a board of trustees’ member.

“The Society was the forerunner of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture,” he noted. “And we work closely with the Department still today. We support programs such as Farmers Against Hunger, New Jersey Agricultural Leadership Development Program and Learning Through Gardening, which supports teachers’ use of gardening and agriculture in classrooms.”

Mr. and Mrs. Zambito are thoroughly enjoying their grandchildren: five-year-old Charlie Everlof and six-year-old Matt Mancini. They also have two granddaughters: two-year-old Ceclia “Ceci” Zambito and Cara Mancini, 19 months.

“Charlie is already the self-proclaimed vice president of sales and Matt is the president of the company,” Mr. Zambito joked. “They grow up fast, and every moment with them is precious.”