Vivid moves into new space at the Vineland Produce Auction
Vivid moves into new space at the Vineland Produce Auction
VINELAND, NJ — New Jersey’s 2015 spring vegetable season is starting out “solid,” and “quality has been beyond perfection,” Jonathan Consalo of Vivid Fruit & Produce LLC told The Produce News Tuesday morning, May 12.
Vivid Fruit & Produce is one of the newer produce companies operating here in Vineland, the center of produce activity in southern New Jersey. The company’s official start date was April 15, 2013, and the company moved to space at the Vineland Produce Auction around the last week of February. With office space and a cooler, “It’s ideal for what we do,” he said.
Jonathan Consalo, a managing member of Vivid, handles most of the sales as well as some buying.
Bobby Consalo Jr., also a managing member of Vivid, handles most the buying as well as some sales; he also handles most of the office administration. Kevin Consalo is in charge of all the receiving, cooling and loading.
While still early in the season, Vivid was already handling New Jersey items such as asparagus, Romaine, Boston, Bibb, green leaf, red leaf, escarole and endive, according to Jonathan Consalo. “Then we’ll have the full line of greens and herbs.”
Asked how the company’s launch and first year were progressing, Jonathan Consalo said, “It’s definitely been a learning experience. It’s opened my eyes to things I wasn’t aware of. But over all, it’s gone better than expected.”
Asked to describe the new company to those who might not be familiar with it, he stated, “We consider ourselves a grower, packer and shipper. We consider ourselves a boutique in the sense that we’re small enough to handle any of our customers’ needs. But volume doesn’t scare us.”
Vivid Fruit & Produce expects to handle pretty much a full line of New Jersey produce items, with the exception of blueberries.
On a personal note, Bobby Consalo became engaged in March to Deandra Leone, a registered nurse. The couple plans to get married in the summer of 2017.
