COMMERCE, CA — “Where are all the young people [in the produce industry]?” asked Jeff Weisfeld, president of Fruit Distributing Corp. of California, here.

The question was rhetorical, and it is not a new concern for Mr. Weisfeld. It is something he has talked about in the past. Even though Fruit Distributing has recently hired two young people, it was not easy finding them, he said. It amazes him that with all of the reports of college graduates and other young people having trouble finding work, and with stories of companies receiving hundreds of applications for every job opening, they don’t seem to be applying for available good-paying jobs in produce, or in agriculture, or in trucking.

The two Ruben Duran, Harold Weisfeld, Maria Gutierrez, Jeff Weisfeld, Lorenzo Brunetti, Valerie Hire and Paul Arambul of Fruit Distributing. (Photo courtesy of Fruit Distributing Corp. of California)new hires at Fruit Distributing give the company a net gain of one, as “one of our partners, Sean Hire, moved over to Unified Grocers” where he is now a buyer. Sean Hire is the husband of Valerie Hire, vice president of Fruit Distributing.

New on board are Lorenzo Brunetti and Paul Arambul.

Mr. Arambul, who previously sold apples for a company in Washington state, is now handling sales of deciduous summer fruit, apples, pears and grapes, Mr. Weisfeld said.

Mr. Brunetti, who was previously attending Whittier College in Whittier, CA, is new to the produce industry. He is “opening up our California citrus department,” Mr. Weisfeld said. “California citrus is new for us.” Mr. Brunetti is also taking on responsibility for the company’s Texas citrus program, which was previously within the purview of Mr. Weisfeld’s father, Harold Weisfeld, who is in sales with the company. “We have been in Texas citrus for 55 years” but have never had any significant involvement in California citrus, Mr. Weisfeld said. “This is our first venture in trying to be year-round” in citrus.

Fruit Distributing has handled Texas citrus on a seasonal basis since 1958, but “have not ever run a lot of California citrus, for whatever reason. But “we now have the manpower and the willingness to do that, so that is what we are going to try to do.” The company’s objective is to be able to “give our customers year-round service” in citrus “like we do on the other products” such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes and vegetables, he said.

By having a year-round supply of a product line, “we can put together ads a little easier,” he said. On tomatoes, for example, “I go year-round. I can cover you on ads because I know the regions” and go from one region to another without interruption.