Page 98 - index

CPMA CONVENTION SUPPLEMENT
TORONTO MARKET PROFILE
Toronto’s Produce Wholesalers Thrive On Area’s Diversity
OntariO fOOd terminal and farmers market prOvide amazing suppOrt.
OBy Jodean Robbins
ntario has a thriving food whole- sale community centered at the Ontario Food Terminal (OFT), a 40-acre site housing Canada’s leading fresh fruit and vegetable
wholesale market. “A wholesale market here is viable because Toronto is the kind of city with so many different cultures and a high per-capita consumption of produce,” says Larry Davidson, president of North American Produce Buyers in Toronto. “The OFT is a busy market and remains a valuable source.”
According to the Toronto Wholesale Produce Association (TWPA), the OFT is the largest wholesale produce market in Canada by volume of produce distributed. The OFT is occupied by the 21 warehouse wholesaler tenants that supply imported and local products. It also houses more than 400 tenants in the Farmers Market, selling locally sourced products.
TWPA reports the Market (as referred to by those who shop it) boasts 5,000 customers from across Ontario, Québec and as far east as Newfoundland and Labrador. “Our reach is constantly expanding depending on what our customers need,” says Ezio Bondi, vice president at Bondi Produce in Toronto. “We are in a good position geographically. The city and its surrounding areas continue to grow.”
Customers of the Market range from chains and independent grocers to restau- rants to florists and landscapers. The Market also supplies food distributors delivering fresh produce to hospitals, universities, schools, hotels and entertainment venues, among many others. “The OFT provides customers a one-stop place to shop,” says
Paul Scarafile, president and chief executive of Dominion Citrus in Toronto. “We offer great products in a prime location, making it easier for customers.”
EVOLVING BUSINESS
As business continues to grow for the OFT and its wholesalers, the face of busi- ness is changing as well. Joe Scali, partner at The Royal Produce Co. in Etobicoke, ON, says Toronto Market wholesalers are quick
to adapt to market trends. “They continue to service and supply at an exceptional level,” he says.
Although North American Produce Buyers is still based on the OFT, its orien- tation has changed over the past decade, according to Davidson. “We have opened three other companies, and with our focus on the import side of things, we’re distrib- uting coast to coast in Canada now.”
Dominion reports an evolving product
6 / APRIL 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESSCPMA CONVENTION SUPPLEMENT