Consumers in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were immediately drawn to the sweet, young faces of Elijah (Eli) Ornstein and Ali Ross when they first appeared on the “Eli & Ali’s” logo in 2000.

Since then, the brand has grown tremendously and is now synonymous with the highest possible quality organic and conventional tomatoes, peppers, green beans and many other produce items, including a line of fruits.Jeff Ornstein, co-owner, with his son, Elijah (Eli) Ornstein, chief operating officer of Eli & Ali’s.

Partner-owners, Jeff Ornstein, Eli’s father, and Mark Ross, Ali’s father, formed Eli & Ali’s Organic & Specialty Produce in Brooklyn, NY, 15 years ago.

Eli Ornstein, now age 23, finished college and joined the company as its chief operating officer about six months ago.

“Eli is very smart and creative,” Jeff Ornstein told The Produce News. “He brings many new concepts and ideas to the company, and he’s helping to streamline our operation. We are continually hiring more people, modernizing our software and updating our warehouse. We’re also expanding and modernizing our coolers, and we’ve renovated our lunchroom for all our employees.”

Eli & Ali’s continually expands its line of high-quality produce. The company specializes as a repacker, and it repacks every box that leaves its facility, about half of which carry the “Eli & Ali’s” brand.

“We have grown by leaps and bounds over the years,” Ornstein noted. “Our diverse customer portfolio includes major retail chains, five-star restaurants, country clubs, upscale independent retailers, wholesalers and others. We continue to service predominantly the tri-state area.

“It’s important to remain open minded about your customer mix,” he continued. “With the Millennials coming of age, their source of income is not the same as prior generations. Everyone is thinking about more cost effective ways of doing business, and it simply doesn’t make sense to limit selling to only the high-end category. It’s a must today to consider all options in order to keep your business secure and growing.”

Eli & Ali’s sources produce from around the world, always searching for the very top quality at the best prices for its customers.

The company proclamation is, “The World is Our Farm.” And its greatest commitment — in addition to providing the highest possible quality — is to offer its customers the best possible service.

“Servicing our clients is top priority,” Ornstein explained. “Every morning our managers and executive staff meet to review priority deliveries based on when our customers need delivery that day, and even on an hourly basis. And we make sure it gets done right.”

He added that the company is currently developing additional vegetable lines that the market is seeking, explaining that this is an important part of its current and long-term strategy.

Eli & Ali’s is also highly environmentally conscious. Every pack and box that leaves its warehouse is recyclable and compostable.

Eli Ornstein already has a strong and confident voice in the company. He said, “The future is very bright at Eli & Ali’s. We are excited about big things on the horizon. We’re developing new ideas and innovations behind the scenes that we’ll be launching in the future.

“It’s one heck of a trailer — as in a movie trailer,” he added. “You watch the trailer and you know you have to be first in line to see the movie.”