Blue Island Wholesale is a small oasis
Blue Island Wholesale is a small oasis
CHICAGO — Across South Blue Island Avenue from the gates of the Chicago International Produce Market is a cheerfully painted business front. The colorful art presenting Blue Island Wholesale Produce Inc. stands out along a drab and dusty industrial street.
Daniel Suarez, who started the company, was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in 1951. His family immigrated to Chicago and his father worked on the South Water Street Market for 30 years. There, in the late 1970s, Daniel Suarez began working for Jack Tuchten, the owner of Jack Tuchten Wholesale Produce Inc. “For 13 years, Jack Tuchten was my mentor,” Suarez said. “I learned to treat shippers fair and give people what they want.”
Eventually Suarez decided it was time to find another job, but he realized that he would be happier running his own company. “This was a small business but I did the best I could,” he said.
Today, his business has a high financial rating and he employs 12 people who work within the 7,300-square-foot warehouse that he has occupied for 20 years. “My next building will have more space,” he said.
He serves many Hispanic customers with product bought from the Chicago market. Suarez also buys direct loads from Mexico. His Mexican products include tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeños, avocados and limes.
