Albert’s Organics, headquartered in Santa Cruz, CA, is a leading distributor of organic products — and a pace-setter in the organics movement.

The company maintains an in-stock status of over 300 seasonal fruits and vegetables and other organic perishables at its distribution centers in California, Colorado, Florida, New Hampshire, Minnesota, North Carolina and New Jersey. The company also has its own national and regional produce-buying centers that have helped the company to create long-standing, mutually supportive relationships with organic farmers locally and regionally, throughout North America and even around the world.

Simcha Weinstein, director of marketing, said that the Southern Exposure conference and expo is an integral part of what the company is committed to.

“We have been a member of the Southeast Produce Council for 11 years, and we have exhibited for the past nine consecutive years,” he said.

Albert’s Organics will be exhibiting its goods at booth number 1,002, and several key team members of the company will be there to meet and greet existing and new customers. They will include Rod Moyer, vice president of sales; Kevin Lyons, team lead-national mass market; Dave Duggan, regional business development manager; and George Borzilleri, company consultant.

“For Albert’s, every show is an opportunity to either introduce or further expand the opportunity for retailers and foodservice groups to better understand the selling and promoting of organic fresh produce and how it might fit in with their retail or foodservice programs,” said Weinstein. “As organic foods continue to grow in category popularity, we see stronger and stronger interest, and the Southern Exposure show provides an opportunity for us to meet face to face in a dynamic setting and discuss possibilities.”

Albert’s took another major leap recently when it launched its official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/albertsorganics.

“For years we were not participants in this aspect of social media, as it seemed better suited for businesses that have a retail component and deal directly with individual consumers,” said Weinstein. “As a wholesale distributor, we don’t sell directly to the public, but we have created opportunities for outreach to the consumers through various avenues we provide to our retailers, so the time was right to get involved.”

All of the great content that customers have come to love and expect from Albert’s Organics is posted on its Facebook page, including its organic college, blog posts, its Merchandising Strategies newsletter, smart signs, videos and more.

“In a sense, we view our Facebook page as a type of community,” Weinstein noted. “It’s a place where all of the key entities of the organic industry will be inclined to visit — retailers, growers and consumers alike — who are all part of our organic community, sharing ideas and generating new innovations that will benefit us all.”

Founded in 1982, Albert’s Organics services its customers from its seven distribution centers, delivering to all major metropolitan cities, most regions in the continental U.S., and to many areas in Canada. It lays claim to having one of the largest effective distribution coverages of organic produce suppliers in the U.S. It is also among the first certified-organic distributors with nationwide coverage, giving it the ability to trace any product sold through its distribution channels back to the source. It is inspected annually by Quality Assurance International to maintain its certified-organic status.