NEW YORK—Once upon a time, fathers passed on the family farm to their sons.
As the process from farm to table became more complex, parents began passing the family produce distribution business on to their progeny.
“Many companies in here are into their fifth generation of ownership,” said Myra Gordon, executive administrative director of Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market in the Bronx, the largest wholesale produce distribution center in the world.
It feeds approximately 23 million New Yorkers and accounts for 60 percent of produce sales in the city, according to a New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) report.
Transformation of Food Business
The market opened in 1967, when it was a man’s business, according to Gordon. She used to be one of the only women at food distribution conferences, she said, but now about 40 percent of the attendees are female. Gordon is a spirited lady who could have retired years ago but has a passion for food that keeps her in the game.
It isn’t just the gender dynamic that has changed over the course of Gordon’s lengthy career.
When she started at Hunts Point Market, the co-operative-style business had 77 owners. The number of owners has decreased by nearly half, to 40, which Gordon attributes in part to the younger generations deciding to part from the family business.
Denise Goodman took over the 53-year-old family business, M&RT Tomato Distributors, when she came of age, and now her daughter works by her side. Goodman’s brother takes the night shift; Goodman starts at 4:30 a.m.; and her daughter comes in around 7 a.m.
“It’s very competitive here,” said Goodman. M&RT Tomato used to carry only tomatoes, but has branched out to stay competitive in the 24-hour bustling hub. “Produce from all over the world comes into the market day and night,” said Goodman.
Nonetheless, NYCEDC reports that 50 percent of the produce that runs through Hunts Point Terminal is locally grown.
The center was relatively quiet on a Tuesday afternoon; there were no customers in sight. The hum of running food truck engines filled the air. Workers swept past with crates of lettuce, jicamas, yams, Puerto Rican canepa fruit, and potatoes of all varieties.
The produce has changed along with the ethnic composition of the city. In recent years, the city has made an effort to get immigrants living in New York City’s “food deserts” to eat fruits and vegetables.
Cassandra Flechsig, who works as a Karp Resources consultant for the city’s Green Cart program, said the carts cater to the demands of communities that need fresh produce the most, communities where canepa or jicamas might be more familiar than broccoli and split peas.
“A full line of produce is very important to meet the bottom line,” said Gordon, echoing Goodman’s observation.
As less diverse vendors close down shop, and some vendors have trouble securing loans, the larger vendors are expanding within the market.
It is a trend that pervades today’s economy. For example, Wal-Mart’s success can be attributed in part to having a variety of products in one location. Incidentally, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn wants Wal-Mart to agree to get a large portion of its produce from Hunts Point, should the retail giant come to town.
Large clients, such as Qantas Airways, get their produce from the center, but approximately 40 percent of the customers are small grocers.
Growing Pains
The terminal has outgrown its 105 acres and is experiencing growing pains.
With storage space full to the brim, running trucks provide additional cold storage much to the ire of environmentalists and people concerned about high asthma rates in the Bronx.
Plans are in the pipeline, however, for Hunts Point Market expansion.
Gordon declined to answer how much money it now costs for coveted space in the market. She also could not comment on the development project, which is in the hands of NYCEDC.
“We’re trying to find a way to best utilize limited space,” she said.
NYCEDC is working on a financing plan for redevelopment with the market, as well as the state and federal governments.
“We are optimistic a long-term solution will be reached that will best serve the buyers, sellers, and taxpayers, which includes redevelopment plans to create a larger, modernized market,” wrote NYCEDC spokesman Kyle Sklerov in an e-mail.
