For the majority of produce distributors, the word “local” has gone from a trend several years ago, to a way of life today.

“Rather than getting stronger, the demand for locally grown produce is now pretty mainstream,” Tony Vitrano, president of Tony Vitrano Co., located at the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market in Jessup, MD, told The Produce News. “But it’s equally important that the quality of local produce is high. People aren’t willing to sacrifice quality. Today, there is a large group of educated consumers who tend to support local, and fortunately the quality of locally grown product has increased along with the demand.”

Vitrano’s grandfather, also named Tony Vitrano, founded the company in 1932. In 1975, it relocated to the then newly opened MWPM. Following in his footsteps were Vitrano’s father, Justin Vitrano, and his uncle, Norman Vitrano.

Vitrano said movement has been steady this year, with no real issues or challenges.

“The markets have been pretty good,” he said. “Cilantro has been tight, and some of this may have to do with any of a few issues.

“California vegetable prices seem higher this year,” he continued. “But it’s hard to say if this is directly related to the drought in the west. Most vegetables from California come from the coastal areas, which are not as badly affected as other areas of the state.”

Lemon prices, he noted, are also higher this year.

The company has always handled Western fruits and vegetables, and while that part of its business remains strong, today it is sourcing strongly from local growers as well as other growing regions around the country.

“The local demand is driving this change somewhat, but also behind it are the regional growers who are producing more commodities today,” said Vitrano. “The term ‘local’ is sometimes construed as being within a specific distance from where it’s distributed. But because growing seasons are regional, the term ‘locally grown’ can be construed to mean many different things.”

 He added that customer demand is helping to drive the changes that the produce industry now faces. High fuel prices, sustainability issues, carbon footprint, food safety, freshness and supporting local economies all play into the demand for fresh produce.

Tony Vitrano Co. handles a full line of fruits and vegetables, with the exception of bananas.

“We are handling more from the Mid-Atlantic area, including Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and other nearby states,” said Vitrano. “These are items that we can order this morning and have that night.”

The company has also consolidated its space on the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market.

“Prior, we had our vegetable and our fruit divisions separated in different places on the market,” explained Vitrano. We have had units 73 through 87, but there was a center portion that we previously used for warehousing. We’ve reconfigured to pull the two lines next to each other. It’s easier for customers who come to the market and for our sales team.”

He also pointed out that sales in the Baltimore-Washington, DC, area are doing well.

“We’re fortunate in this regard,” said Vitrano. “We sell to a lot of wholesalers who sell to foodservice operators, so about half of our business is related to foodservice. We also service many small retail chains, bodegas and majors.”

He added that the demand for ethnic products such as Asian and Hispanic continues to increase at a strong clip.

“On the retail side, many Asians and Hispanics are opening independent stores, while mainstream grocery stores tend to offer more ethnic items,” he said. “We add to our line and increase volumes according to demand.”