R.A.M. Produce excited about ‘resurgence’ of Detroit
R.A.M. Produce excited about ‘resurgence’ of Detroit
R.A.M. Produce Distributors LLC, located on the Detroit Produce Terminal Market since 1987, is looking forward to another bright year ahead, especially now that the city of Detroit has officially emerged from bankruptcy, according to Michael Badalament, sales associate for the company.
“Right now, Detroit in its own way is going through a certain form of renaissance,” he told The Produce News on Jan. 12. “There’s a resurgence, a spirit and an optimism in this city that’s not been present for a long time.”
Michael Badalament, sales associate for R.A.M. Produce.Badalament said that now, under the new mayor, council and business leaders, there are a lot of good things happening, which “certainly can’t hurt us,” but the city still has a long way to go.
“There are a lot of interesting things happening,” he said. “Are we there? Not yet, but the spirit and the feeling is it will be. It’s busier now on the streets; restaurants and retail markets are all doing well.”
And that spirit and excitement has certainly trickled into business at R.A.M. Produce.
The Detroit-based company, whose expertise is predominantly in tomatoes and peppers, is optimistic about this year’s market.
“It’s looking good,” Badalament said. “The tomato market looks like it’s extremely vibrant. I hope it keeps going the way it’s going.”
R.A.M. also handles zucchini, onions, cucumbers and leafy greens, among other vegetables, as well as strawberries and kiwifruit. The company’s customers are major wholesalers, independent and major chain retailers, and foodservice wholesalers, in addition to farmers markets, fruit stands and gourmet stores, reflecting the many great ethnicities making up the greater Detroit area.
“I think in produce, especially in this day and age, you always have to be in a certain state of transition,” Badalament said. “The industry is not standing still. I don’t think it affords anybody the ability to stand still, which is good.”
“R.A.M. has constantly been evolving,” he went on to say. “The owner of this company, Mike Bommarito, has been and continues to be very progressive.”
Badalament noted that R.A.M. spent a lot of time working on its rooms and developing its packing lines in the past year, and also did some work on its truck bays.
As for its team, it’s still “the same old motley crew,” he joked.
“We’ve got some really great guys here and a lot of experience,” Badalament said in all earnest. “Jim Bommarito, Mike’s son, has really come into his own this past year. He’s progressed and he’s become quite a good buyer — he’s a pretty sharp guy!”
