Fran Carfagno is the director of sales for T.M. Kovacevich International, and he also holds the title of director of food safety for T.M. Kovacevich-Philadelphia Inc. The two companies are separate entities, but both are owned by George Manos.

Mr. Carfagno told The Produce News that T.M. Kovacevich-Philadelphia received its U.S. Department of Agriculture Audit Program for GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and GHP (Good Handling Practices) in August of 2012.

T.M. Kovacevich’s spit-shined, perfectly organized and brightly colored display of fresh produce at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market.“This was our first certification,” said Mr. Carfagno. “The audit uses a point system in which you either pass — meaning you have achieved 80 percent or more in points — or you fail. We are extremely pleased to announce that we passed. Customers are increasingly inquiring about certification, and we believe that this will be a demand that only increases in the future.”

T.M. Kovacevich is the largest tenant at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market. It occupies units A-1 through A-6, and it was among the first companies to move to the market on Essington Avenue when it first opened in June 2011, just blocks away from the previous terminal market on Dock Street, where it had been since it opened there in 1959.

For many years the company’s strength was in premium fruits, but it was able to take more space at the newly designed, cutting-edge building, giving it an opportunity to expand its line considerably.

“We are now a full-line distributor and we carry virtually every fruit and vegetable available,” said Mr. Carfagno.

“And we are strongly supportive of locally grown programs. We also handle organics that are primarily locally grown,” he continued. “Philadelphia is certainly a restaurant city, and we service many eateries here. Increasingly more restaurant buyers and chefs are requesting locally grown produce when it’s in season, and the locally grown fresh produce we offer is only one hour away from all of our surrounding states.”

The unbroken cold chain, the clean and well-lit aisles and working areas is also much better for fresh produce. Mr. Carfagno said that this is a huge advantage in keeping produce fresher and extending shelf life. He also pointed out that the facility has helped to open doors for new customers at T.M. Kovacevich, who are excited and pleased about being serviced at the highly technical facility.

“It’s hard to beat us as a competitor,” Mr. Carfagno added. “We’re open 24 hours a day with a sales team on site at all times.”

“During the past year we have expanded our tomato line considerably,” he continued. “We are handling more round and grape tomatoes, which fit into our overall program nicely.”

Tommy Kovacevich, general manager of T.M. Kovacevich-Philadelphia Inc., serves on the PWPM marketing committee. Mr. Carfagno said the committee has switched gears from promoting the new facility when it was first opened, and is now focused strongly on business development.

The company ships product from Connecticut to Virginia every day. Its business is strongest in retail, representing about 75 percent of its customers, while the remainder are foodservice operators.