TUBAC, AZ — Carlos Bennen posthumously was named the 2015 Pillar of the FPAA Award Nov. 6 at the closing dinner of the annual convention of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, here.

Matt Mandel, chairman of FPAA, made the presentation to Robert (Robbie) Bennen Sr. and Robert (Bob) Bennen Jr., who continues to operate Ta-De Distributing Co. in Nogales.Marked by a red arrow is Carlos Bennen during the days when rail cars were king in shipping Mexican produce to the north.

With two Mexican grower-partners, Carlos Bennen launched Ta-De and played a leading role in Nogales’ development as the key distribution point for produce from West Mexico. Robbie and Bob Bennen are Carlos’ son and grandson, respectively.

Mandel described Carlos Bennen as “one of the early pioneers of the industry, a true Pillar of the FPAA. In fact, without his steady leadership, there is some doubt as to whether we would even be here tonight. In the early years of the West Mexico Vegetable Distributors Association, which eventually became the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, tonight’s pillar of the FPAA was the elected leader of the association not once, not twice, but three times.”

Born in 1910, Carlos Bennen got his first job in produce around 1938, when he went to work with Wells Fargo, which at that time had 100 percent of the Mexican export market through a concession, Mandel said. In those days, Wells Fargo also had an exclusive deal on farm equipment going south to Mexico.

“In the 1940s, when the Wells Fargo exclusive fell apart, entrepreneurs from southern Arizona started their own companies. Famous names like Wilson and Gotsis took hold of their own destinies, starting companies that remain with us today,” Mandel continued.Rosie and Robert (Robbie) Bennen Sr. of Ta-De Distributing Co. in Nogales, display the Pillar of the FPAA Award presented posthumously on Nov. 6 to Robbie’s father, Carlos Bennen.

Around this time, the RG James Co., a tomato grower and distributor from Tennessee, sought a salesman to grow its burgeoning Mexican deal. Bennen got that job in sales and eventually climbed up to general manager, where he stayed until the 1950s.

“As is still the case, tomatoes were the biggest item back then,” Mandel said. “In the morning, the inspectors would go across the line to check the quality of the produce. Then the boxcars would be staged in Nogales, Arizona, waiting on the tracks until they were sold.”

Mandel continued, “Over the years, Bennen had met the Tamayo brothers and Demuritis family in Mexico. He set up a distributorship in old downtown Nogales near the library. In 1957, Ta-De Distributing was born, as a three-way partnership between Bennen, the Tamayos and the Demuritis family.

Carlos Bennen retired from the day-to-day business in the mid 1970s, with Robbie taking the helm at Ta-De Distributing.  Representing Carlos Bennen at his posthumous Pillar of the FPAA Award presentation were his daughter-in-law, Rosie Bennen, and his son, Robert (Robbie) Bennen Sr., with grandson Robert (Bob) Bennen Jr. and Bob’s wife, Satenik Bennen, and Bob’s daughter, Victoria Bennen. Robbie’s niece, Linda Alsigel Fain, flew to Arizona from Doha Qatar for the Pillar presentation. She is with Robbie’s sister, Sheila Bennen. In the front row of the photo are Bob’s children, Carlos R Bennen and Caroline Bennen, and Robbie’s sister, Pat Fain.

Robbie learned from his father’s integrity and tenacity. “He insisted that there were honest and open sales relationships,” Robbie said. “No lies, you had to tell it straight. And he wouldn’t back down.”

Mandel also noted that Jimmy Chamberlain, an early employee of Ta-De, said that Carlos Bennen “was a very honest person, and extremely knowledgeable about the industry.”

“He was a very good competitor, and was very loyal to his growers. He really worked on the relationships with the growers,” said Chamberlain, who eventually launched Chamberlain Distributing in Nogales.

Jimmy’s son, Jaime Chamberlain, nominated Carlos Bennen for this year’s award.