US Fresh, headquartered in the Bronx, NY, got off to a humble start in 2004 with $112 in startup money and a minivan. But since then it has evolved into a major grower, importer and shipper of high-quality herbs, tropicals and ethnic root vegetables.

David Jaramillo, vice president, of the company explained that he and his parents all had full time jobs at the time.

“But we had a plan to start this business,” he said. “I remember the $112 specifically because that was the exact amount of the brokerage fee we had to pay for the entry of our first shipment into the U.S. And, we had my dad’s minivan for delivery. Our office was basically in my house in Patterson, NJ.”

The company started with fresh herbs from Colombia. Jaramillo said he began by bringing the products to the Hunts Point Terminal Market to sell.

David Jaramillo and Ralph Tejeda of US Fresh.“I got a lot of rejections because companies on the market weren’t familiar with herbs from Colombia,” he said. “At the time they preferred product from Israel. But we persisted and little by little we gained acceptance.”

The company rented its first official location, a small cooler in the Bronx, about eight years ago.

“The owner of that cooler supported me tremendously in that he allowed me to rent this small cooler,” said Jaramillo. “But I soon outgrew it and I moved next door, where I rented half of a warehouse. By the following year we took over the entire facility.”

A major milestone for US Fresh came a few years later when it began the process of designing and building a new warehouse on Drake Street in the Bronx, which is where it is today. Jaramillo pointed out that it was a major undertaking in that it was all done in conjunction with all the necessary food-safety regulations in order to obtain its certifications.

Today the largest portion of the company’s business is in its extensive herb line, which is where it got its start.

“Today we are the biggest supplier and importer of herbs in this area,” said Jaramillo. “As we grew we started adding tropical roots and Asian vegetables. Much of these items are grown on our own farms. In Colombia we own an herb and white yam farm. In the Dominican Republic we own farms that grow our baby lettuces, Asian vegetables, specialty peppers and other fruits and vegetables.”

In its herb line, the leading products are basil, mint, cilantro, rosemary, thyme and chives, respectively.

Most recently the company further expanded its line with other specialty products such as turmeric, soursop and others that are growing in popularity.

US Fresh also works with growing partners in Costa Rica, Israel, Ecuador, Mexico, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We like to do things a little different than other companies,” noted Jaramillo. “We like trying new countries where we believe products grow well, but are less traditional. For example, we’re bringing in pineapples from Colombia. Baby lettuces typically come from Peru or California, but we’re producing them in the Dominican Republic.”

US Fresh’s customer base is predominantly wholesalers and foodservice operators. It provides custom packaging for customers, which is strongly concentrated in the foodservice sector.

It will pack in any quantities; from two-ounce up. For retail sales, it supplies bulk packages to repackers. The company’s products are distributed throughout the tri-state area.

“We’re a young company and we’re excited,” stressed Jaramillo. “We have an enthusiastic young staff, and we’re looking to add more experienced people to our team. We encourage anyone who is interested to contact us.”