In this episode, three leaders from multigenerational family businesses in the produce industry share their experiences and insights on how they have maintained and evolved their businesses in the face of unique challenges. They talk about the importance of keeping up with industry trends like sustainability and technology, while balancing the needs of the business and the family. The conversation is both enlightening and inspiring, offering valuable advice on attracting and retaining new talent, promoting from within, and developing clear career paths for employees. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of the produce industry and how family businesses can thrive in the face of ongoing change.

Key Takeaways

• The produce industry faces unique challenges in attracting and retaining new talent, particularly from college job fairs where larger companies tend to dominate.
• Family businesses in the industry must balance the needs of the business with the needs of the family, while also remaining competitive through evolution and employee retention.
• COVID-19 forced family businessesto make changes that were previously shrugged off, jumpstarting the transition to the next generation.
• Networking and professional development, particularly through involvement with the Produce Alliance, are critical for success.
• The industry must work harder to raise brand awareness and attract talent, while also promoting from within and developing clear career paths for employees.
• The future of the produce industry looks bright, but it will require ongoing efforts to adapt and evolve to remain successful.
• The family business has a strong culture of hard work and earning one's place, with a focus on leaving the business in a better place than it was found.
• The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is working to develop programs to attract young people to the industry, as it is not typically seen as an aspirational career path.

Memorable Quotes

“We spend a lot of time talking about ways that we can increase things like sustainability and how do we be as efficient as possible and how can we use technology as our friend and really work smarter, not always harder.”

“When my friends were working at Six Flags, and at Ben and Jerry's and the community summer camps with kids going to the water parks, I was in the warehouse. Going through rotten tomatoes and picking up the trash out of the employee parking lot and doing whatever job anybody else had to do because they wanted me to learn from the ground up.”

“When it comes to the family perspective, there's no way until you have kids that you could conceptualize what it would be like to not only be a father or a mother, but also to work with them, to ultimately one day be a boss. But I think it’s incredibly special to work with your family in that way and continue that tradition.”

Guest Resources

Tom LaGrasso III

https://www.lagrasso.com/the-lagrassos

LaGrasso Brothers

https://facebook.com/LaGrassoBros

https://twitter.com/La_Grasso_Bros

http://instagram.com/lagrassobros/

Billy Itule

https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyitule/

Willie Itule Produce

https://ituleproduce.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/willie-itule-produce-inc/

Anthony Sirna

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-sirna-a2740078/

Sirna & Sons Produce

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sirna-sons-produce/

https://www.facebook.com/sirnaandsonsproduce/

https://www.instagram.com/sirnaandsons/

Show Links

International Fresh Produce Association - https://www.freshproduce.com/

Fresh Takes on Tech - https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/technology/takes-on-tech-podcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFreshProduceAssociation/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/IntFreshProduce/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-fresh-produce-association/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/intlfreshproduceassn/