Officials at Turek Farms-Sales by Cayuga Produce have no intention of trying to outshine any other company at SEPC’s Southern Exposure. They simply want to show their product, talk business and pleasure with old and new friends and make it clear they are pretty serious about what they do.

“Our strategy going into SEPC is simple: be present, be prepared and be real,” said Jason Turek, an owner at the King Ferry, NY-based operation that has been in business for more than 90 years. “This show has always been about relationships first. We go in with clear objectives, such as who we want to meet, who we need to reconnect with and which conversations should move from talking to actual planning.

“To gain attention, we don’t try to out-flash anyone. We focus on meaningful, honest dialogue. Real business is getting done, but just as important, SEPC gives us the chance to spend quality time with customers we genuinely consider friends. Those conversations are what build trust and lead to better partnerships long after the show is over.”

Turek emphasized that the business model is based on a solid, disciplined attitude that focuses on key fundamentals like consistent supply, strong execution and long-standing wholesale, retail and foodservice relationships built on trust. 

“When customers commit to us, they know they’re getting dependable volume, clear communication and product that meets spec every single day,” he added. “What’s going especially well is our operational focus. We’ve invested heavily in labor efficiency, packaging and tray-pack capabilities in both Florida and New York, which has allowed us to better align with what customers actually need and reduce friction throughout the supply chain.

“We have also improved how we coordinate production across regions to help smooth out seasonal gaps, although at the end of the day, Mother Nature still makes the rules,” Turek continued. “Where we can do better is telling our story more proactively. A lot of the value we provide happens behind the scenes with planning, forecasting, same-day harvest logistics and we can do a better job communicating that value earlier in conversations rather than letting it only show up after execution.”

He added that at the event this year, Turek Farms officials will be talking more about executing improvements instead of introducing something new just for the sake of it. 

“Tray-pack expansion is a major focus for us, both in Florida and New York because it gives our customers more flexibility and consistency across seasons,” Turek said. “At the same time, we are experimenting with a few new, trend-driven items that we believe have strong potential. We’re being thoughtful about it-testing varieties, watching demand and making sure anything new fits our production model and customer needs. We’ll also be having a lot of conversations around collaborative planning: aligning promotions with real production windows, tightening forecasts and reducing last-minute surprises on both sides. From our perspective, the best promotion we can offer is reliability.”

Turek said that the goals of the show are looking to strengthen partnerships and walk away with clarity-clear next steps, clear opportunities and strong alignment heading into the season.