Richard Ruiz, president and owner of Ruiz Sales in Edinburg, TX, a distributor of tropical items from Mexico, likes to play by the rules.

Cutting corners is not an option when it comes to doing business.

In fact, Ruiz has led by example when it comes to food safety and traceability, investing in systems that bring it into compliance, and calling out retailers and other suppliers who do not place the same emphasis on those factors.

“It is important for the entire produce industry to take responsibility for providing safe food that is traceable,” said Ruiz.

“The time has run out — we do not need another outbreak to put another black mark on the industry,” he said.

The passion with which Ruiz advocates safe and traceable food is undeniable, but he knows no other way of doing business, owing to his solid upbringing and the years he spent under the tutelage of his father, Robert Ruiz Sr.

Robert Ruiz Sr. got his start in the produce industry in 1949, working at Boler Farms in Pharr, TX, as a field buyer in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Colorado and California. After 15 years at Boler, he began selling cabbage, Bell peppers and tomatoes to Britt McCullough Produce, Mel Renfro Foods and Van De Walla, and was doing direct store delivery to H.E.B. stores throughout Texas.

Using the extensive experience and knowledge he acquired through these jobs, Robert Ruiz Sr. opened Robert Ruiz Inc. in 1963 and was joined in the business by his sons Robert Jr., Richard and Eddie. Together, they grew the company into one of the leading grower-shipper-packers in North America, according to Ruiz.

“In West Texas, it was very different years ago, and there was a lot of discrimination against Hispanic people,” said Ruiz. “But my father was well-liked and was able to work with anyone, no matter what color they were.

“His honesty, integrity, hard work, dedication and, above all, his trust in God allowed him not only to be accepted but to flourish during a time that was very difficult for Hispanic minorities,” Ruiz continued.

“No matter where he went, Robert Ruiz Sr. always had an open door and he always left an area better than when he arrived.”

Robert Ruiz Sr. had a great influence in Texas, said his son. He was a role model for minorities and a pillar in the community who created jobs for people from the Rio Grande Valley to Winter Garden to west Texas.

“He encouraged people to be themselves, to be the best they could be,” said Ruiz. “Robert Ruiz Sr.’s examples and teachings are still with us today, and many people are grateful for the knowledge and teachings that he provided them.”

Ruiz recalled a time when as a young boy he accompanied his father on a tour of one of his fields. They came upon a crew leader who was berating a field worker for improperly picking and packing product.

“My father stopped his car, got out and went over to the field worker and demonstrated the proper way to do it, treating him with respect the entire time,” he said. “Even though he was the owner of the company, it was not beneath him to get in the field and help the workers. That is why everyone liked him and had respect for him.”

Ruiz said he and his family are extremely proud of the fact that his father was inducted into the Texas Produce Hall of Fame in 1997, in recognition for his unselfish contributions to past and present leaders in the Texas produce industry.

“Though Robert Ruiz Sr. passed away in 2008, his legacy still lives on through those whose lives he touched,” said Ruiz.

“He left an inspirational reminder that although he may be gone, his legacy is strong among us, guiding us to be the best we possibly can,” he said.

And it is with this inspiration in mind that Ruiz continues to encourage his own workers and himself — and even the industry at large — to be the best they can possibly be.

“That is why I continue to call for a level playing field when it comes to food safety and traceability,” he said. “We need everyone to be on the same page with providing safe and traceable food, and we need the retailers to commit to only buying from reputable suppliers. We owe it to the moms and kids to give them wholesome food that will not make them sick, and to give them their dollar’s value in great quality produce.

“More importantly, we need to partner with the retailers in order to get traceability and food safety adopted industry wide,” he continued. “If the retailers feel something is important, then they will do it. So we need to get more retailers interested and involved.”

A big step forward by the retailers would be providing more in-store training for their associates.

“The store workers should be trained to make sure traceability is in place for all produce sold in the store,” Ruiz said. “The workers should also make sure product is moved through the pipeline as quickly as possible and doesn’t sit in the backroom or a warehouse for weeks “

Ruiz realizes these changes require a larger investment by everyone, but to him it is money well spent.

“At Ruiz Sales, we put in a new stickering system three years ago in order to fulfill PTI compliance, and now we are getting a 98 percent stickering rate on our limes,” he said.

“It may be more expensive, but you stand to lose a lot more money if there is a recall. Retailers should buy only the best quality produce that is traceable, because then their customers can be assured that it is safe and healthy fruit, and people will continue to come back to shop.”