Officials at Collotti and Sons have a simple mission: Stay on plan and meet the expectations of customers who have counted on the company’s consistency for a half century.
The Philadelphia-based produce company has thrived for more than five decades by making sure its customers get the right product mix, the best prices and quality and the excellent service that goes with it.
“Our job is simply to take care of everyone we work with,” said Jack Collotti Jr., the long-time president of the company. “We handle a bit of everything in the produce industry, from strawberries, raspberries, blueberries to corn, carrots, celery and peppers to just about any type of produce that is in-season. We also offer our customers produce that is locally-produced from farms in our region as well as from Canada and Mexico.”
The Collotti family has a long history with produce and the Philadelphia market. Jack, Jr. has been with the company since its founding by his father Jack in 1975. Jack, Sr. was involved with produce in the Philadelphia area going back to the 1950s. Jack, Jr. has been president of the operation, which has around 20 employees, for more than 30 years.
In that time, he has seen many changes and knows better than most how important it is to stay ahead of the curve.
“We have a lot of history and a lot of experience and that has helped us develop a company where we treat all of our customers, big and small, the same way,” he noted. “There is a right way to treat people and everything is done to make sure that our customers are satisfied with the produce they receive from us.
“It is not easy and we have to pick our battles,” said Collotti. “At certain times we take it on the chin, and we have to really focus on making sure we give it our absolute best effort to keep everyone happy. But that is what we do at our company and I think it works very nicely for everyone.”
Operating out of the Philadelphia market, the nation’s fourth-largest metropolitan area, plays a role in the company’s success. Collotti said that the city’s location in the middle of the Eastern Seaboard, as well as access to several major interstate highways, allows Collotti and Sons to reach customers all the way from New Jersey and Pennsylvania into Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
A market that large, and that diverse, also means staying educated on new trends, new consumers and new regulations is vital to the long-term success of the company.
