Nash Produce talking sweet potatoes at SEPC
Nash Produce talking sweet potatoes at SEPC
With the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure on the horizon, Nash Produce is preparing to take advantage of every opportunity the show has to offer.
“First and foremost, Nash Produce will be an exhibitor at the show,” said Robin Narron, sales support and marketing director for the Nashville, NC-based company. “This is an important opportunity for us since we will be able to interact with current customers and also potential new customers. Relationship building is an important part of the business, and it is something we take pride in here at Nash Produce. Being an exhibitor will not only allow us to maintain current relationships but also cultivate new ones.”
Joining Narron at the show will be Thomas Joyner, president; Randi Ricks, domestic sales representative; and David Bradley, director of business development. All excited for the opportunity to interact with customers on a more personal level.
Nash Produce will be at booth No. 300, talking about its sweet potato operation.
“Members of our team will be available to not only talk about who we are and what we can offer,” Narron said. “We will be bringing the Mr. Yam family to the show, which includes bagged, individually wrapped and microwave friendly petite steamable pouches and loose North Carolina grown and harvested sweet potatoes.”
Another highlight of the booth will be showing off the quality of the company’s sweet potatoes.
“With industry leading storage facilities, it allows us to provide high quality sweet potatoes year-round,” Narron said. “Being able to control temperature and humidity in these facilities is a major reason we can provide such high-quality sweet potatoes.”
The Nash team also expects to be discussing the sweet potato inventory and what’s expected in 2025.
“The 2024 sweet potato crop in North Carolina was short 30-35 percent due primarily to weather issues,” Narron said. “Nash Produce has been working diligently to manage our inventory and minimize the impact on our customers. Unquestionably, this will have an impact on sweet potato pricing. We want our customers to know that Nash Produce is doing all it can to minimize the impact on their supply of sweet potatoes.”
Southern Exposure is one of the company’s favorite shows of the year for many reasons.
“As it is historically located in the southeastern region, we are able to connect with industry leaders close to home,” Narron said. ‘With fresh produce, reduced travel time helps to ensure product is at the ultimate freshness when presented to customers. With the Easter holiday quickly approaching, SEPC Southern Exposure grants us time to spend with current clients and discuss our spring offering.”
Plus, interacting with current customers and potential new customers makes this show a success regardless of whether the company picks up a new customer or not.
“Having a presence there is a huge deal, because we eventually might work with a customer down the road even if it’s not immediately,” Narron said. “Being able to network and make connections throughout the industry is a huge part of how we have the business that we have today. We want customers to know that we take this show seriously and we are there to cater to their needs.”
As far as growth initiatives, Nash Produce wants to ensure customers that it is continuously innovating through marketing strategies and improving the customer experience.
“We feel like there is always room for improvement,” Narron said. “Being able to take a step back and review how we can grow our customer experience is imperative. Examples of this include ensuring deliveries are on time and reviewing the quality of our own sweet potatoes to make sure they meet customer expectations. Through continuous improvement we hope that this will further grow our retail business.”
