New Chicago market is maturing and succeeding
New Chicago market is maturing and succeeding
Several board members of the three-year-old Chicago International Produce Market indicate that the move from the historic, but highly antiquated, South Water Street Market was an extremely good one.
Market board member Tim Fleming of Strube Celery & Vegetable Co. said, "The market is beginning to work for people. People are beginning to use it like a new tool. The quality of product moving through Chicago has increased with the efficiencies. What people incurred in debt [to build the new market] is made up in efficiency. We are more confident in our product. It goes out better."
He added, "There are a lot of benefits to the market. Size-wise, it has worked out but some guys could use more room. They thought [their operating space] would be just fine when we got going. We are able to get new customers to come back to the market. We are more competitive with service. Quality-wise we're better and people are more productive in a better environment. In general, this is a positive for most people. Some are having some issues they would probably have anyway."
Board member Steve Serck, owner of JAB Produce Inc., indicated: "All has gone well for the market. It was an excellent move for everyone involved. As a result of the move, all the companies "woke up and changed their business. They were all comfortable in the routine of the old market. Now it's good for everyone to be creative.
Mr. Serck continued, "I think things have gone well. One of the things people were concerned about was everyone surviving at greater prices. On the old market no one had a mortgage. Everyone got a big mortgage to move here. Everyone has stayed in business so far. They had to expand product lines to stay competitive. Now specialty houses are pretty much non-existent.
Mr. Serck said that all aspects of business are improved over the old South Water Market. Truck loading is efficient, climate control is vastly improved, and handling efficiency is up because all of the market storage is on one lever. "We had hand jacks there. Here they're all electric jacks.
Breck Grigas, a partner in World Wide Produce Inc., said, "I think the market is doing very well. Everyone finally is starting to get settled in. The market is growing in Chicago, and were capturing business that had gone in the other direction while we were at South Water.
Mr. Fleming said that morale at work has improved since moving to the new market. "In general, I know our company is more fun. I think in general the attitudes are better. You come to work and you feel better in a better environment. All the way through at Strube, we're all happier the in new facilities.
Mr. Serck said the new market brought shorter operating hours. "In the old market, it was open 'til four or five at night. Here at one, everyone is done. This not only improves the quality of life, but "labor costs are one of our biggest problems.
Mr. Fleming said that the new market is bringing back customers because "certainly we have more credibility as a market. Our design is amendable to maintaining quality and providing efficiency in the things we need to do as a market. Strube and other people can be assured their product is being kept in better facilities.
Mr. Fleming likes the feature that customers load on one side of the market, while receivers unload on the other. The two activities don't interfere with one another. The board members were asked what they would do differently if they were to build a new market again. "If we all had the chance to do it again, it's like night and day, Mr. Serck simply stated.
Mr. Fleming elaborated: "We should have hired our own project manger. We tried to save the money but a project manager "would have avoided an issue here and there. A project manager would have represented us as the buyers. He said that there might have been other things the market would have done differently, but hiring a project manager "is the most glaring thing I would have done.
Mr. Grigas said: "New market planning took patience. I think that when we originally started, when we first came together as a group to move, it moved a lot slower than we anticipated and it took an awful lot more time than we thought it would take. But it was worth it, absolutely.
Mr. Fleming said the talks have begun to capitalize on the original design feature that the market's front dock could eventually be enclosed.
The market was not enclosed because "in the wholesale environment customers have "so many different heights of trucks. If a van is in front of a door, you lose ambient temperature either way. What do you gain?
The Chicago wholesalers can load trailers from air-locked back doors for the customers wanting that cold-chain service. "It depends on the business plan of any one customer as to what they do, Mr. Fleming said.
(A full report on the Chicago market appears in the Aug. 15 issue of The Produce News.)
Market board member Tim Fleming of Strube Celery & Vegetable Co. said, "The market is beginning to work for people. People are beginning to use it like a new tool. The quality of product moving through Chicago has increased with the efficiencies. What people incurred in debt [to build the new market] is made up in efficiency. We are more confident in our product. It goes out better."
He added, "There are a lot of benefits to the market. Size-wise, it has worked out but some guys could use more room. They thought [their operating space] would be just fine when we got going. We are able to get new customers to come back to the market. We are more competitive with service. Quality-wise we're better and people are more productive in a better environment. In general, this is a positive for most people. Some are having some issues they would probably have anyway."
Board member Steve Serck, owner of JAB Produce Inc., indicated: "All has gone well for the market. It was an excellent move for everyone involved. As a result of the move, all the companies "woke up and changed their business. They were all comfortable in the routine of the old market. Now it's good for everyone to be creative.
Mr. Serck continued, "I think things have gone well. One of the things people were concerned about was everyone surviving at greater prices. On the old market no one had a mortgage. Everyone got a big mortgage to move here. Everyone has stayed in business so far. They had to expand product lines to stay competitive. Now specialty houses are pretty much non-existent.
Mr. Serck said that all aspects of business are improved over the old South Water Market. Truck loading is efficient, climate control is vastly improved, and handling efficiency is up because all of the market storage is on one lever. "We had hand jacks there. Here they're all electric jacks.
Breck Grigas, a partner in World Wide Produce Inc., said, "I think the market is doing very well. Everyone finally is starting to get settled in. The market is growing in Chicago, and were capturing business that had gone in the other direction while we were at South Water.
Mr. Fleming said that morale at work has improved since moving to the new market. "In general, I know our company is more fun. I think in general the attitudes are better. You come to work and you feel better in a better environment. All the way through at Strube, we're all happier the in new facilities.
Mr. Serck said the new market brought shorter operating hours. "In the old market, it was open 'til four or five at night. Here at one, everyone is done. This not only improves the quality of life, but "labor costs are one of our biggest problems.
Mr. Fleming said that the new market is bringing back customers because "certainly we have more credibility as a market. Our design is amendable to maintaining quality and providing efficiency in the things we need to do as a market. Strube and other people can be assured their product is being kept in better facilities.
Mr. Fleming likes the feature that customers load on one side of the market, while receivers unload on the other. The two activities don't interfere with one another. The board members were asked what they would do differently if they were to build a new market again. "If we all had the chance to do it again, it's like night and day, Mr. Serck simply stated.
Mr. Fleming elaborated: "We should have hired our own project manger. We tried to save the money but a project manager "would have avoided an issue here and there. A project manager would have represented us as the buyers. He said that there might have been other things the market would have done differently, but hiring a project manager "is the most glaring thing I would have done.
Mr. Grigas said: "New market planning took patience. I think that when we originally started, when we first came together as a group to move, it moved a lot slower than we anticipated and it took an awful lot more time than we thought it would take. But it was worth it, absolutely.
Mr. Fleming said the talks have begun to capitalize on the original design feature that the market's front dock could eventually be enclosed.
The market was not enclosed because "in the wholesale environment customers have "so many different heights of trucks. If a van is in front of a door, you lose ambient temperature either way. What do you gain?
The Chicago wholesalers can load trailers from air-locked back doors for the customers wanting that cold-chain service. "It depends on the business plan of any one customer as to what they do, Mr. Fleming said.
(A full report on the Chicago market appears in the Aug. 15 issue of The Produce News.)
