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- Michigan Company Finds
Success with Packaged Produce
- By Karen Gentry
Managing Editor
- If Philip Riggio were a grower he’d concentrate on the niche markets. He would grow the classiest red potato with high color, a sparkling red. He would start growing grape tomatoes, which continue to grow in sales.
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| Red potatoes are one of the more than 100 packaged items available from Aunt Mid Produce in Detroit, Mich. |
Riggio, owner of Aunt Mid Produce in Detroit, Mich., knows the trends of packaged pre-cut items first hand. He is enthusiastic about the growth of his company and says he is constantly on the lookout for good growers.
“We’re always looking for quality growers out there who are dependable and consistent,” said Riggio. He said his company buys directly from growers as well as brokers. He buys from approximately 25 growers in Michigan, California, Idaho, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, New Jersey, Florida and Georgia as well as other countries.
He recommends that growers align themselves with other growers outside the region who follow Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and are known for cleanliness and following safety procedures. Riggio said that food safety has become a major buzzword and growers can find the latest regulations and safety recommendations from the USDA, the International Food Processors Association, the Produce Marketing Association or the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association.
Riggio heads a company that is a household name in the region. The original owner who founded the company in 1948 with a vision of pre-packaged produce was a little ahead of his time, according to Riggio. The name Aunt Mid comes from one of the company’s founders who was a woman named Mildred from Finland. She began growing spinach in her side yard in Detroit and washing it and putting it in bags.
The Riggio family bought the company in 1984 during what Riggio calls the “agricultural revolution” with pre-packaged, value-added convenient products coming in vogue. Today they are primarily processors and repack- ers as well as market receivers at the Detroit Produce Terminal.
“We saw that this is where the future was. We jumped in and it’s been growing ever since,” said Riggio.
In the last few years he said cut fruit has grown in popularity. “Salad blends continue to stay popular,” said Riggio. He noted blends such as the Mediterranean blend and the spring mix with all baby leaf vegetables combined are popular.
“Our flagship item is our spinach,” said Riggio. Aunt Mid Produce has been selling packaged spinach since 1948. Riggio said the main appeal to the spinach is that it was cleaned and washed. The company now sells more than 100 items including celery, baby carrots, baby peeled carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, classic spinach, baby leaf spinach, red and gold potatoes, all B-sized potatoes and onions. Riggio has seen growth in specialty items for ethnic groups and more emphasis on the upscale markets.
A big part of their business is the foodservice sector with sales to restaurants, hospitals and schools and other accounts that buy in bulk.
Today Aunt Mid Produce employs 130 workers including Riggio’s two sons, one who handles the day -to-day operations of the produce terminal and one who handles the day-to-day operations of the processing plant. He expects that a third son, now a 12th grader, will also become involved in the business.
The company’s facilities include 17,000 square feet on the market and a 70,000 square feet processing facility.
Riggio says being local helps differentiate Aunt Mid Produce from the competition. “We’re a local source that packs and distributes on a daily basis,” Riggio said. Most orders are shipped same day or next day, for faster, fresher delivery of produce.
For more information visit www.auntmids.com
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