“We envision Ecoripe Tropicals as a leader in the produce industry, consistently serving as a catalyst of success for our customers, vendors and employees,” said Marc Holbik, director of grower relations for the Medley, FL-based company. And it will have another great opportunity to demonstrate its wide range of specialty produce, along with its commitment to continue to provide excellent customer service, sourcing and delivering the best quality fresh produce at the Southern Exposure conference and expo. “All of our company’s actions and decisions are based on the highest standards of integrity and professionalism,” he said.

Ecoripe Tropicals will have its line of Asian, Hispanic and other specialty items on display at its booth, number 1027, at the Southern Exposure conference and expo Feb. 27 to March 1 at the Caribe Royale Conference Center & Hotel in Orlando, FL.

In addition to Holbik, on hand at Ecoripe’s booth will be Isabel Hurtado, general manager, Wes Wever and Carolina Ramirez, both account executives.

Although Ecoripe is a relatively new member, marking its first full year of membership on March 22, the company is already dedicated to the council’s activities and initiatives. 2014 will mark the first year that the company will exhibit at the event.

It carries a widely diverse line of Asian fruits and vegetables — a line that was originally developed specifically for the wide range of Chinese, Indian, Hispanic and Southeast Asian cuisines. Its line of imported vegetables and fruits run year-round with variations in volume and origin based on climactic factors. Green papaya from Belize is only one of the company’s year-round programs.

Holbik acknowledges that these foods have become highly desired by mainstream foodies who want to experience new, interesting and flavorful dishes.

“As the interest and demand has increased in recent years, so too has Ecoripe’s lineup and operation,” he said. “We are currently growing long — or Chinese — eggplants on our farm in Guatemala. And we are preparing for good volumes of Rambutan beginning in May. Our Rambutan program runs through October.”

Ecoripe Tropicals’ extensive line of fruits range from the more commonly known mangos and papayas to the more unique June plum and passion fruit — and just about everything in between. Its vegetable line includes Chinese, Indian and Thai eggplant, long beans, tun, numerous pepper and squash varieties and much more. It also offers a full line of Asian and Hispanic root items, such as Eddoes, yucca, malanga, boniato and ginger.

“We also have American okra and Snow pea programs from Guatemala,” added Holbik. “We look forward good quality and steady volumes in the future.”

The company’s journey started on the Pacific coast of Guatemala where it began cultivating papayas in the late 1990s. In 2004, with over a decade of production experience under its belt, the import office soon to be known as Ecoripe Tropicals opened in South Florida. In 2010, it inaugurated its new facility in Medley, FL, where it now has a food safety-certified cold storage facility and its main sales and administrative offices.