Almost a year-and-a-half after buying the Columbus Produce Terminal Market, “things are going well,” according to Jim Sanfillipo Jr.

“We have spent a lot of time and money on the old property, which had had no investment and no maintenance for a couple of decades,” he said.

Sanfillipo Produce Co. Inc. took possession of the Columbus market on Jan. 1, 2014. James (Jamie) Sanfillipo III, 41, operates the company with his father, Jim Sanfillipo Jr.

Broken cement blocks have been replaced. The building’s exterior has been painted with the attractive green and tan colors use on the St. Louis market.

“I like those colors,” said Sanfillipo. “It works real well.”

The Columbus market now has full occupancy and good foot traffic for the cash-and-carry store, Sanfillipo’s Fresh Fruit & Vegetables, run by Jim’s sister, Robin Sanfillipo. The store’s business “grows every year.”

For Sanfillipo Produce, “we continue to grow, also,” he said. “We feel very fortunate to have come through the 2008-09 recession unscathed.”

Sanfillipo Produce is geared to serve foodservice clients, including hospitals and caterers.

Going into the summer, “We look forward to the homegrown produce season.” Local growers deliver to Sanfillipo, which recently became registered as a year-round farmers market. Jeff Givens, as value chain coordinator, works as a liaison between Sanfillipo Produce and the local growers.

Locally picked wild mushrooms are very popular, as are asparagus and rhubarb in April. In late May, Sanfillipo will be selling locally grown greenhouse strawberries, micro greens, arugula and seedless cukes.

“We will pull tomatoes from southern Ohio at the end of June,” he said.

Givens works with growers on food-safety procedures, proper packing and such factors that are important to the commercial produce business.

“I am excited about our future,” Sanfillipo said.

Last fall, Sanfillipo made a good business of selling fresh-squeezed wine grape juice for winemakers who chose not to do the crushing. The juice was sold in six-gallon buckets. This winter Sanfillipo sold seed potatoes to grocery stores and hardware stores. That business is moving to be garden plants this spring.

That said, life on the Columbus market is imperfect.

“It was a rough winter,” said Sanfillipo. “It was bad enough, and then I was replacing a roof that was 500 feet long.”

Now long sections of the concrete dock are being replaced on the 52-year-old market.