“Southern Innovations is one of our favorite shows of the year for many reasons,” said Robin Narron, marketing director for the Nashville, NC-based company. “As it is historically located in the southeastern region, we are able to connect with industry leaders close to home. With fresh produce, reduced travel time helps to ensure product is at the ultimate freshness when presented to customers.”
First and foremost, Nash Produce will be an exhibitor at the show, highlighting its sweet potato operation.
“Members of our team will be available to not only talk about who we are and what we can offer, but also show a sample of the quality of sweet potatoes you can expect from our facility,” Narron said. “We will be bringing the Mr. Yam family to the show, which includes bagged, individually wrapped (and microwave friendly), petite steamable pouches, and loose North Carolina-grown and hand harvested sweet potatoes.”
Nash will also be showing off the quality of its sweet potatoes. With industry leading storage facilities, Nash Produce is able to provide high-quality sweet potatoes year-round.
“This is an important opportunity for us since we will be able to interact with current customers and also potential new customers,” Narron said. “Relationship building is an important part of the business and it is something we take pride in here. Being an exhibitor will not only allow us to maintain current relationships but also cultivate new ones.”
Additionally, the Nash Produce team will be participating in events throughout the week.
“These seminars will allow team members to further their knowledge about the industry and make connections with other successful industry experts,” Narron said. “Our marketing and sales team do a tremendous job of conveying to customers the adaptability we provide here at Nash Produce.”
One topic Nash Produce team members expect to talk about is sustainability.
“With this being such a hot topic in the industry currently, we want customers to know that we are taking this seriously,” Narron said. “We have already taken steps to become more sustainable here at Nash Produce, but we are also looking into new projects. Ultimately, we want retailers and consumers to know that we are taken the initiative on our own instead of simply doing it because we have to.”
Interacting with current customers and potential new customers makes the show a success regardless if the company picks up a new customer or not.
“Having a presence there is a huge deal, because we eventually might work with a customer down the road even if it’s not immediately,” Narron said. “Being able to network and make connections throughout the industry is a huge part of how we have the business that we have today. We want customers to know that we take this show seriously and we are there to cater to their needs.”
As of late August, Nash Produce’s network of sweet potato growers is getting ready to begin harvesting this year’s crop.
“From the samples we have recently pulled, the crop is sizing up well and overall volumes appear to be right where they need to be to keep up with the rising demand,” Narron said. “The weather throughout the growing season has been pretty dry until tropical storm Debby brought us an abundance amount of rain; however, we anticipate seeing excellent quality as we begin harvesting. Of course, we pray for good weather during the harvest season in order to get all of those tasty sweet potatoes out of the ground and into our storage facilities.”
