Stone: Ben B. eyes expansion
Stone: Ben B. eyes expansion
The air is electric at Ben B. Schwartz & Sons Inc. “Business has been fantastic,” said Nate Stone, chief operating officer. “It’s motivating. You think it’s going to wear you down. But it doesn’t.”
The Billmeyer family continues to provide drive and enthusiasm at Ben B. Schwartz & Sons Inc. Seen here, President Chris Billmeyer is flanked by his sons, Drew and Jake, who represent the fourth generation of family members. (Photo courtesy of Ben B. Schwartz & Sons Inc.)After more than a century in the fresh produce business, the work environment at the company has just the right balance of a work-hard, play-hard philosophy to keep things interesting. Ben B. is located in the Detroit Produce Terminal and moves a vast array of globally sourced fresh produce to its customers throughout the Detroit metropolitan area and into Canada.
At the current time, the company is meeting with architects to figure out how and where to build additional space. “The facility is old, and space is limited,” Stone told The Produce News. But he said the location is prime, and the physical expansion is contemplated at the existing site. “It looks like we’re going to add on,” he went on to say. “The market operates so well.”
Former timing patterns are just that. “We used to try to wait until August,” Stone said. “But now, no time is slow. Everyone is working hard.”
The Billmeyer family continues to drive the business’ success. President Chris Billmeyer is now flanked by his sons, Drew and Jake, who are members of the fourth generation manning the helm. “The owner is happy, and business is good,” said Stone. “This is just a win-win. The fourth generation is just as happy as the first.”
