“It’s been a very good year,” said Steven Piazza, president of Community-Suffolk. “There have been challenges obviously, with tariffs and things like that, so you’ve had to work harder and longer to maintain your volume with those challenges.”

Among the most pressing issues have been trucking and freight costs, which Piazza noted have remained elevated throughout much of the year, adding additional strain not only on pricing but also on planning. 

“The tariffs are not helping, and there’s been a tight transportation market this year, raising additional costs, as well as a lot of high product costs, which have all been challenging,” he said. “Trucking is expensive this time of year, and those have been challenges as well.”

As New England transitions into the winter season, certain commodities have been significantly impacted. 

“The leafy green items have been tremendously high for a few weeks now, and that continues to be a challenge,” he said. “Celery and broccoli are also strong right now, and higher pricing in those categories has been more recent rather than yearlong.”

What really makes the Boston region a dynamic produce market, Piazza noted, is the strong ethnic diversity across New England and the strong and consistent demand for fresh fruits and vegetables across small independent businesses. 

“We have a real great ethnic mix in New England, and fortunately for the people here in the markets, all of them desire fresh produce,” he said. “A lot of the cities and towns have bodegas and small markets and family-run businesses that shop the markets two to three days a week because they do not have warehouses. They’re continuously looking for values to make their dollar go farther, consistent quality and consistent availability from their vendors.”

Community-Suffolk’s long-term success can be explained through a simple and focused business model. 

“We don’t try to reinvent ourselves every year, and we don’t chase trends,” Piazza said. “We have a limited produce line, but the items that we do carry, we carry tremendous volume and buying power and the ability to provide that value on a consistent basis.”

The company continues to make investments to strengthen service and reliability. After moving into a newly retrofitted building about three years ago, Community-Suffolk remains positioned for operational efficiency. Piazza said the company has added three additional storage trailers that rotate volume to stay ahead of tightening markets. It also has a tractor trailer and storage lot across the street to help maintain cold chain continuity. 

“All of that helps us eliminate gaps in service, gaps in availability and keep product cold and fresh,” he said.

Looking to 2026, the company plans to maintain its current direction rather than expand.  

“We’re cautiously optimistic because the underlying numbers of the economy do go in our favor,” Piazza said. “I think once prices come back to a more consistent level, people will continue to eat the corn. They want to continue to eat fresh, and we will provide that value in the commodities that we serve.”

For Community-Suffolk, the foundation remains the same as it has for nearly a century. 

“Consistent availability, consistent quality and a relationship built on trust — that’s the key, and we’ve had it for 97, 98 years now,” Piazza said.