With three full years under its belt and heading toward the fourth anniversary in June, tenants at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market remain extremely positive about their highly technical, cutting-edge facility, which is claimed to be the most advanced wholesale terminal produce center in the world.

Visitors to the facility come from around the globe to see for themselves how it was designed and developed to serve the needs of suppliers, tenants and customers alike, and in ways that few other facilities are able.

The aisles are wide and clearly marked, including the walking strips which are bordered by bright yellow railings that help insure that people don’t accidentally walk into the forklift traffic. The lighting is bright and the colored banners clearly define company locations. The loading docks, which skirt around the exterior of the showrooms, move up and down to accommodate loading and unloading of vehicles of all heights. It’s safe, secure and spotlessly clean, and tenants proudly share the positive comments they continually receive from suppliers and customers alike.

Changes at all terminal markets are common, and the PWPM is no different. Dan Kane, general manager of the PWPM, said that a new company, North American Produce Co. opened this year.

“Also, the PWPM saw an expansion of existing merchants, including John Vena Inc., Colonial Produce and T.M. Kovacevich-Philadelphia, Inc.,” said Kane. “Some merchants added additional ripening and/or repackaging rooms to give our customers a better selection of the products they need for their particular businesses.”

He added that there are more third-party audits being conducted by occupants at the market than ever before.

“We are also continuing to find efficient ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” Kane noted.

Rick Milavsky, president, secretary and treasurer of BRS Produce Co. Inc., located on the market, said that customers regularly express how pleased they are with the loading and unloading processes at the new facility.

“Once they have the basic instructions, they get in and out of the terminal without a hitch,” said Milavsky. “It is definitely a lot easier to load and unload here. “It is much more convenient for buyers to pick up their merchandise. Overall, It’s is a great pleasure to work from the new PWPM.”

Mark Levin, chief executive officer of M. Levin & Co., also on the market, serves on the PWPM board of directors. One of the original occupants of PWPM, the first year there he said to The Produce News, “If I were a box of produce, the PWPM is where I’d want to be,” and his feeling has only strengthened over the years.

“This market has provided us with many opportunities,” said Levin. “The new video is a really nice presentation. It gives consumers a sense of where, other than the shelf of the supermarket, their food comes from. And it is a great reflection of how accessible we are to all levels of buyers.”

The video, which was just released in April, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/nhK084ocTU4.

Levin also feels that the PWPM is a great place for the fourth generation of Levins — four who are all women — to build on their careers. Levin’s daughter, Tracie Levin, is general manager responsible for operations management and food safety for the company. And she serves on the Eastern Produce Council’s Women’s Leadership Committee.

“The environment of this facility is a positive reflection on the young people who are entering the produce industry as a career,” Levin added.

Jack Collotti, president of Collotti and Sons, concurs. Four members of the fourth generation now work at the company.

“The younger generation has the great advantage of working at this new cutting-edge facility, which is teaching them the right way to handle fresh produce,” he said. “Product stays fresher longer, and shrinkage is down considerably. This is entirely due to the unbroken cold chain. Their future in the produce industry will be a lot different than the generations that preceded them because of this facility.”

He also noted that all operations run much more efficiently at the new PWPM. Customers continually express their pleasure of getting in and out of the market faster than was possible at the previous open-dock Philadelphia market.

“Adding to the pleasure for everyone is that the building is kept spotlessly clean,” said Collotti. “The environment makes for much safer working conditions and the unbroken cold storage and temperature control abilities increase the level of food safety. There is plenty of parking for customers and visitors, and the traffic is controlled. Working in this market is a sheer joy.”

Rick Milavsky, president, secretary and treasurer of BRS Produce Co. Inc., said, “Just look around this facility. It’s a perfect place to handle fresh produce. This terminal market is really sharp. And it’s really neat to be the first in the world with such a cutting edge facility.”

Milavsky also serves on the PWPM board of directors.

Philadelphia-based Procacci Bros. also holds space at PWPM. Company President Mike Maxwell said the facility is top of its class amongst terminal markets.

“Its appearance, control capabilities, cleanliness and increased space has made it a destination for shoppers,” said Maxwell. “We’re able to showcase more product under total temperature control which allows us to attract passersby as they walk the market. The new layout has been an upgrade for customers and for business alike.”

Kane said that the PWPM plans more communication with existing, as well as potential, customers in hopes of cultivating new market opportunities.

“Our new video is one way that addresses the many questions we’ve seen come through our website,” he said. “We are very proud to be open to the public and want the community to feel they have a great resource here in the PWPM.”