As its name implies, Vidalia onions are the company specialty of Vidalia Sweet Produce LLC. Since 2008, the farming corporation has been a big-time player in the production, shipping and sales of Vidalia sweet onions.

“Sweet onions make up 75 percent of the company’s total sales,” said Tina Collins, chief executive officer of the Cobbtown, GA-based company. “We do everything from seed-to-table.”

The company is the only Woman-Owned production, sales, and shipping facility in the Vidalia region, certified as a WBE (Women Business Enterprise ) by the National Women’s Business owners Council.  

Vidalia Sweet Produce is a small, family-owned farm, specializing in the production, sales and shipping of sweet onions year round, but also deals in watermelons and Vidalia sweet potatoes.

“I have been involved in this industry for 14 years, and during that time, I give all the credit to my husband, Ronny Collins, who has taught me everything I know,” Collins said.

 One of the most important lessons she learned about working in the sweet onion category was what it takes to be successful, and that comes down to quality, service and timely delivery — a trio of qualities that are well associated with the company.

Last year’s Vidalia crop was fine, but the 2022 crop is looking even better, with early estimations that it will be very strong.

“The 2022 Vidalia onion crop looks to be a high-quality crop with good yields and higher prices,” Collins said.

Not that there aren’t challenges. She admitted that so far in early 2022, things have been more challenging with input costs rising as much as 35 percent. Add to it the labor and freight challenges that the entire industry is worrying about, and that makes thing extra tough.

But Vidalia Sweet Produce didn’t get to where it has without knowing how to overcome challenges, and the company is forging ahead and continuing to apply its pillars of success to ensure its customers are happy and satisfied.

The fact that demand for sweet onions is outpacing supply at the present time is good for business, as more consumers have been drawn to the Vidalia onion in recent years.

“Retailers needs to heavily promote the fact that Vidalia is the preferred sweet onion by consumers,” Collins said. “The biggest opportunities are to continue to promote the health advantages of eating sweet onions.”

The company continues to grow and recently completed construction on a new, state-of-the-art packing and shipping facility, which Collins noted will help to provide better efficiency in its operations.