Community-Suffolk Inc., located at the Boston Market Terminal in Everett, MA, is a full-line hardware vegetable house. Its line includes year-round supplies of celery, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, onions, and a full line of citrus items including oranges, limes, lemons, radishes, garlic, apples, iceberg lettuce, salad savoy and leaf vegetables. The company’s citrus division is based on a developed partnership with Sunkist, and it also labels oranges under its “MF” brand.

“Any items that we can purchase that present value to our customer base via in exceptional quality and/or price, we handle.” Steven Piazza, president of Community-SBrothers Steve and Tommy Piazza at Steve’s Community-Suffolk Inc. sales desk on the Boston Market Terminal in Everett, MA. Steve is Community-Suffolk’s president, while Tommy is clerk of the corporation.uffolk told The Produce News.

“The trend today is for stores to have items that enable them to compete, but at the same time everyone is looking for value,” he continued. “We have Canadian carrots, vs. California carrots, for example. The Canadian carrots are good quality but they’re the right price. This is where we can create extra value for our customers.”

Mr. Piazza added that the recession is keeping everyone on their toes, and has made everyone all along the supply chain — from the grower to the retailer or foodservice operator — better at what they do.

Community-Suffolk is also trying to stay ahead of the environmental curve on its own in every possible way.

“Sustainability initiatives are left pretty much to individuals today,” Mr. Piazza continued. “But that’s going to change in the future. Eventually monitoring for environmental abuses by outside agencies will be a part of daily life. Besides preparing for what’s coming, it is just a practical and ethical decision to do things in ways that benefit the environment and reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills.”

The company is a strong supporter of local growers. Mr. Piazza said that when the company was started by his grandfather over 75 years ago, he washed and wrapped New York State-grown celery.

“He was the first one in the country to wrap celery,” said Mr. Piazza. “We still support local growers who produce from celery to pumpkins — when it’s available depending on the season.”

Mr. Piazza is joined in overseeing Community-Suffolk by his two brothers, Jackie Piazza, who is the director of citrus sales, and Tommy Piazza, clerk of corporation, as well as his cousin, David Piazza, vice president and director of iceberg lettuce and onion sales.

The company has been a long-time supporter of the Boston Food Bank.

“If the organization needs a dock, we’ll do what we can to help them out,” said Mr. Piazza. “And we donate product to them whenever we can. It’s all a part of giving back wherever and whenever possible.”

Besides the Boston Food Bank, Community-Suffolk supports Little Sisters of the Poor in Boston, and the Italian Home for Children, also in Boston.

“We help as many organizations as possible,” said Mr. Piazza, “but these three are dearest to our hearts.”