Global Bloom LLC, located in the Bronx, NY, started operating in March 2014. In just one short year this independent importing, exporting sourcing, selling and distribution company’s web has reached around the world.

The company imports strongly into the Northeast, but sometimes the products it sources and sells never touch U.S. soil.

“Our customers are retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operations located primarily in the Northeast and Midwest, but we have also have shipped into California,” Claire Sakho, managing director, told The Produce News. “We sell in Canada to wholesalers, distributors and growers who use the product to supplement their own production. For example, the pepper program in Israel runs from November to February or March, when peppers are not being produced in Canada. So growers there turn to us to supplement their supplies.”

Other programs include produce from Belgium and Holland. Sakho explained that when items are short in the United States, she turns to these countries for supplemental supplies. She locates a grower, receives and ships the product. Much of this product is also sold in Canada.

But the company’s mission is to be an international supplier of fresh produce, and it’s off to a strong start.

“We are shipping product from countries into West Africa,” she said. “And we recently started working with customers in the Middle East to receive product from South America.

“And we’re buying U.S. products and shipping them into Europe,” she continued. “The items so far have been apples, citrus and blueberries. Countries in the E.U. need supplemental supplies when there are shortages just like we do in the U.S. and in Canada.”

Sakho’s upbeat personality, drive, determination and her distain for boredom are what have propelled her into helping to form and oversee the new company.

Raised in France, she was 18 when she realized that she would not be able to finish her degree because her English was poor. She came to the United States with the initial goal of working for one year to improve her language skills. But she ended up staying. Initially working for a catering company, a foodservice distributor in New York City offered her a position because it needed someone who spoke French. She evolved with that company to become a buyer. At age 37, in 2010, she left the company and moved to Holland. There she was selling product produced in Holland and Belgium to customers in the United States and in Canada.

“The time difference between the U.S. and Holland meant that my mornings were fairly free,” explained Sakho. “I wanted to stay busy so I spent those morning hours building a database of growers and customers in many countries around the world. Relationships developed over time and ultimately I became a go-to person for customers who needed to find an item. I began selling product from Israel to customers in Germany and Switzerland.”

After four years in Holland, she decided to start her own business. She had created a company and growers approached her wanting her to sell their products. With a goal to sell a diverse array of products, she reached into her data bank and started connecting.

“In 2014, some of my customers in the Northeast U.S. approached me saying that they liked my product and wanted to invest in a company that handles products internationally. I moved back to New York, and Global Bloom was founded.”

Sakho has a lot of what she calls “á la carte” customers who turn to her when they’re in need. A typical transaction would be someone who calls her and says he needs a specific product for the upcoming two weeks, and she goes to work finding it. When she does, she then has to insure it meets the customer’s standards.

“This is also the reason I am very responsible to both growers and customers,” she said. “I am the mediator for both worlds, and I have to make sure that everyone is happy with the product and the price.”

Global Bloom handles conventional and organic peppers from Israel, kiwifruit from Greece, cipollini onions from Italy, cucumbers from Spain and endive from Belgium. From Holland it handles gold, candy stripe and red beets, red onions, red cabbage, celery root, shallots and pearl onions. Only one year as a new company and her goals for the future are even bigger.

“Something I want to do, and have done before, is to bring product from China into West Africa, as well as garlic, onions and potatoes from Holland to West Africa,” she said. “People have been asking me for these items, and this is something I plan to devote time to in the future, along with increasing my product list.”