As the grandson of a farmer and son of two teachers, a strong sense of service was instilled in 25-year-old Ricardo (Rick) Salinas at a very young age — and it’s a quality he brings with him to the workplace every day.

Although Salinas admits he “accidentally” fell into the produce industry, he is certainly thankful he did. As the food-safety and technical coordinator at Pharr, TX-based Ruiz Sales, Salinas has found his passion and purpose through providing customers with the safest, freshest, best-tasting produce.

“It’s been a blessing for me here because I’ve learned a lot about how to run a small business,” Salinas told The Produce News. “I didn’t originally want to get into produce, but once I got into it, I found it very interesting and I really enjoy the work environment here — it’s about quality over quantity.”

Rick Salinas with his girlfriend, Meagan Nugent.Salinas first started working for Ruiz Sales in 2010, while pursuing a philosophy degree at the University of Texas. After graduating from college in 2012, he came on board full-time as an IT specialist for the company.

“Mr. Ruiz had been looking for somebody in IT for awhile because he’s into modernizing everything,” Salinas said. “I liked the way he worked, so when he offered me a job, I took it.”

As he started getting more involved in the company, he began taking on more responsibilities in addition to his IT work.

“When you’re in small business, you wear a lot of hats,” he said. “I do IT, marketing, accounting, publicity and research — just a wide variety of projects.”

Juggling a lot of responsibilities is something Salinas is used to, and thrives at for that matter. A self-proclaimed “book worm,” Salinas has always loved reading, learning and challenging himself as much as he can.

“I read everything I can get my hands on,” he said. “I learn as much as I can. The most rewarding thing is making a plan, executing it and watching it work.”

And all that reading and research has certainly paid off. Before joining Ruiz Sales, Salinas worked at CompUSA, Geek Squad Tech Support, and has also been doing freelance tech work since high school.

“I’ve always had an infinity for technology and the newest gadgets,” he said. “In high school, I realized there were not a lot of young people in the tech industry, so I decided to get my certification.”

As one of the younger, more tech-savvy members of Ruiz Sales, Salinas enjoys teaching his colleagues more about the latest trends in technology, and in return, learning from them the ins and outs of the produce industry.

“I feel my age has been a benefit because I come in with a different vantage point than the people that are above me,” he said. “I recognize that the guys who have been doing this longer than me have a lot of experience, but I also know that people who are young like me, bring in a lot of creativity.”

Of course, as in any job, there are always challenges. Salinas said the most difficult part about working with produce is that the industry, as a whole, is highly unpredictable, noting that “a lot of things have to come together at the exact right time in order for it to work well.” But that, he added, is also the most rewarding part.

“When everything goes well, you know that you’re the reason,” he said. “You’re the reason your customer is happy, your vendor is happy, you’re happy. It’s just a rewarding feeling all-around.”

As for the future, Salinas sees himself continuing to offer services to the people in the produce industry. “I see a lot of need for technology and software, especially that could make people’s lives a little easier and more productive,” he noted.

But for now, he’s just happy to help and serve where and how he can.

“At the end of the day, the people who keep us in business are the people who buy fruits and vegetables and serving them is the most important part of the produce industry,” he concluded.