Matthew Ridgeview Farms pushes forward

“We define sweets” is one of the mottos of Matthew Ridgeview Farms, but sweet potatoes define the company as well.

“Sweet potatoes are who we are and what we do,” said Autumn Campbell, sales manager for the Wynne, AR-based company, explaining the company has been farming sweet potatoes for more than 100 years.

As a sweet potato grower and distributor, the segment is an important one for Matthews Ridgeview Farms, a fifth-generation owned and operated company. The company continues the rich history of providing top quality of a delicious and nutritious vegetable to put on consumers’ tables.

Matthew Ridgeview Farms stores more than a million bushels of sweet potatoes a year and supply them to customers year-round.

“We have had positive sales growth every year for the last 16 years,” Campbell said. “We plan to continue that trend and always continue pushing forward.”

The company has made the most of its opportunities through the years, and continue to evolve with its customers to stay competitive. With its core values of providing great quality and outstanding customer service, Matthew Ridgeview Farms has remained a go-to sweet potato distributor for decades.

“I think to be successful in any category, you have to care as much about your customers as you do your profit margin,” Campbell said. “We always strive to be more efficient than the previous year.”

The biggest thing that has impacted the business this year is inflation, which impacts both the company and its customers.

“We put others before ourselves and that’s the biggest opportunity for expanding and growing business over the course of the next year,” Campbell said. “We take care of our customers. We continually grow and sell products you are proud of. We believe in integrity, honesty and quality.”

At the retail level, Matthew Ridgeview Farms would like to see stores keep sweet potatoes in stock and keep their displays rotated and full.

“We have seen so many stores this year that were completely out of product due to just not ordering enough,” Campbell said.

Matthews Ridgeview Farms’ customers are major wholesalers, retailers and some foodservice and the company prides itself on customer service, consistency and integrity.

The company expanded about five years ago into a new state of the art facility and pack line and continue to add to the company, which has expanded its capabilities on what it can offer its partners. That will only help the company on its quest to push forward.