Everything about the Nickey Gregory Co. is Georgia-grown, right down to the founder.

Nickey Gregory has worked on the Atlanta State Farmers Market since he was a kid. In 2000, he launched his company there to source, sell and ship produce throughout the Southeast.

That venture has been a rousing success. The company now has a second warehouse in Miami, FL, and a dedicated tomato repack operation in College Park, GA. Its private label, “Cheryl’s Best,” is thriving.

And a subsidiary fresh and frozen trucking line, Gregory Family Express, helps ensure overnight delivery throughout the Southeast, along with the Nickey Gregory Co.’s own fleet of dedicated trucks.

But even as business has grown and regularly expanded, Georgia’s always top-of-mind, a fact made clear by the abundance of University of Georgia Bulldog memorabilia on display around headquarters.

“We’re big time supporters of Georgia Grown, we’re platinum members of the state program and support [Commissioner of Agriculture] Gary Black and what he’s done,” said Andrew Scott, director of sales and marketing. “When we’re in season, we load whatever we can from Georgia.”

The Nickey Gregory Co. is a full-line distributor, providing everything from staples to niche items. Georgia farmers are making it easier to fill in some of those categories locally.

“We got Vidalia onions in 10 da“We got Vidalia onions in two weeks before the season officially started. You’re seeing more and more unique items being grown in Georgia,” Scott said. “In Tifton, they’ve got Georgia-grown asparagus we’re buying that is very comperable to what is grown in South America. Brussel sprouts and broccoli are growing in numbers each year and the quality has been very nice. A few well established South Georgia growers are testing out some green leaf, red leaf and romaine lettuce. Georgia is now number one in the nation for blueberry production. Of course we’re famous for our peaches. There are some local strawberries too as Georgia’s getting bigger in that deal every year. Sweet potatoes are re-gaining popularity and greens are still a hot seller, especially with the rise in kale consumption. There are just more unique items being grown in this state that you don’t see from other states except maybe California.”

Sourcing from Georgia means “fresher product and less food miles, getting Georgia-grown product to our clients quicker versus loading out of Mexico or the Midwest,” Scott said. “And you don’t have those huge freight rates. We pick it all up on our own trucks and backhaul product with our own drivers.”