“The New York Produce Show is a great way to have one-on-one time with customers all in one place,” said Bryan Patmore, sales executive for Baldor Specialty Foods, headquartered in the Bronx, NY. “It also provides us with an opportunity to meet with shippers to discuss logistic solutions.”

Patmore added that the post-Thanksgiving timing is a good time to hold the show, noting that the holiday time is always a good time to be in New York City, making it a win-win situation for everyone.

Baldor will be exhibiting, and we’ll be featuring its fall and winter “Urban Roots” line of organic butternut squash, rutabaga, yam cubes and mirepoix mix at the show.

There are many variants of mirepoix that can include other aromatics, but the most common is a mix of chopped celery, onions and carrots.

“Mirepoix is easy for consumers to bring home and throw into a roasting pan without all the work, but with the benefits of being organic,” explained Patmore.

“This item will be an addition to our highly successful ‘Urban Roots’ brand of organic line of celery sticks, carrot sticks, diced onion, diced red onion, diced celery, diced carrots and coleslaw mix,” he added.

Last year, Baldor Specialty Foods proudly announced that the company had installed its own lab for food safety.

At the time, Michael Muzyk, president of the company, told The Produce News, “As opposed to catching and releasing goods, were testing things like melons before they go to processing. This lab was a major expense, but one we felt was necessary. And as with all of our food-safety initiatives, we aim to stay on the cutting edge.”

The new lab opened in the second quarter of last year. Another layer of food-safety security practiced at Baldor is that all products that come out of its processing division are put through a detector that picks up any potential threats or risks.

“We continue to invest in safe, quality foods by raising the bar for our company and our customers,” Patmore added.

Baldor Specialty Foods also has a receiving and distribution facility in Boston, MA, which was opened a few years ago. In May of this year, the company announced the opening of its new Washington, D.C. facility.

The new facility gives Baldor an outstanding opportunity from a business standpoint. Muzyk said that the city has strong multi-generational established businesses. And the location makes sense within the company’s geographical growth strategy.

“The new facility will service clients in a 120-mile radius,” said Muzyk.

“Our Boston facility services from Southern Maine to Hartford, CT, also a 120-mile distance. Our Bronx location follows suit; we cover everything north to where the Boston facility stops, and south to where the D.C. facility’s range ends in the Philadelphia area. Now these three 120-mile radius circles touch, and our footprint is from Maine to Northern Virginia.”

Patmore added, “We are continuing to offer a solution to retailers by being able to service six days a week in metro New York, Boston and Washington D.C. With our innovative value-added items or filling shorts, we make sure that our customers keep their shelves full.”