Progressive Produce shipping organics year-round

Progressive Produce, a year-round grower, packer, and shipper of fresh produce, started in bulk citrus in 2016 and organics followed shortly after.

“Over the years, we have increased the program by adding grower partners in all California citrus regions as well as Mexico,” said Jaime Greger, senior marketing coordinator for the Los Angeles-based company.

The company packs and ship organics year-round, though peak supply is typically in the fall through winter. For instance, in January, the company is seeing peak supply of OG navels and the category is looking strong.

“Volume will be down this year compared to the 2023 season,” Greger said. “The intense rains we had in California in 2023 delayed the start of the OG navel crop. The fruit tastes great and the cool nights have made the fruit extra sweet.”

Progressive tailors and shapes its program to meet the needs of retailers and foodservice operators.

“We can offer a one-stop shop with all the commodities we offer,” Greger said. “We can turn your LTL into a FTL with all the items we offer and deliver anywhere in the U.S.”

Recently, Progressive has started selling mandarins, with both conventional and organic mandarins available.

The company can accommodate almost any pack style, and the new mandarin line can accommodate all mandarin pack styles. 

“We are relentless when it comes to figuring out our customers’ needs,” Greger said. “Our organic program is intentionally designed to source from many different regions for this reason. We know what our customers want and what works for their programs, so we go out and invest in the regions we know are going to work for a specific program. It gets tricky because we have to plan for crops years in advance sometimes, but having this flexibility is what makes our program work.”

Retailers have a great opportunity to expand its organic citrus program, Greger noted.

“We have always seen a lift when there is education accompanied with displays,” Greger said. “Consumers are looking for fresh new ideas in the kitchen. Put up a great recipe on a display and your customer impulse purchases will increase. There are good promotion opportunities with organic potatoes and onions right now. There’s good supply and great quality available. This is the right time to showcase organics.”

For its organic potato and onion program, Progressive launched its Nature’s Bounty organic program in 2007.

“Right around that time Progressive was beginning to diversify its portfolio and organic potatoes and onions made sense,” Greger said. “Customers were beginning to ask for organics. Progressive already had a network of potato and onion growers we were working with, so it made that much more sense.”

The organic program has grown quite a bit since its inception.

“When we first started this program, the supply we used was mostly local,” Greger said. “We now grow and source from over six states and three different countries. We also now have multiple packing and shipping points with Progressive staffed personnel throughout the West Coast.”

Progressive differentiates itself from other programs in the industry thanks to its people, quality and service.

“Good people make the biggest difference, and we have a great team and work with great people,” Greger said. “The growers we work with are always working to improve their quality and standards. I always preach about our service because I can’t emphasize it enough. I have always been impressed at the level of service Progressive provides. It’s a testament to our core values.”