2/2/2010

AN OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE

The service that Black River Produce provides is certainly not simple. Many food distributors deliver canned tomatoes, french fries, ketchup, napkins and cleaning supplies.  But, as one of BRP’s owners, Mark Curran, states, “Where is the challenge in that?”

Instead, Black River Produce makes it their task to take on the difficult job of feeding the northern New England region fresh and locally grown foods.  While they source seafood from around the globe, and keep a steady stream of tractor-trailers arriving from California, Idaho and Florida, they also proudly work with most every farm in the entire state of Vermont to bring their product to the market.  In turn, Vermont farmers have learned to rely on BRP to sell their meat, cheese, eggs or whatever they happen to produce.  BRP is the vital link in getting fresh, healthy, home grown food to thousands of people every day.  Black River Produce is the Fresh Connection.

How do they do it?  Curran says that it’s all about a great team of dedicated, hardworking employees who keep the fresh food moving, non-stop, 24/7.  He adds that they have to keep it moving because fresh food is “always in a state of rot!”  It has limited shelf life, and therefore, it has to move quickly to customers, or it will become waste.

Last week, Black River Produce paused to recognize an Outstanding Employee among the members of its excellent team of committed personnel. For over twenty five years, Ron Wilkins starts his day at 2:00 AM and spends the first three hours maneuvering 70 feet of truck through ice, snow and gloom of night from BRP Headquarters in North Springfield, Vermont to the Boston Produce Market.  Once there, he negotiates his way around organized bedlam, often making deliveries before he gets to reload his trailer.  Before any product goes back on his truck, Ron serves as BRP’s first line of quality control as he inspects all of the product to ensure that it meets the stringent standards BRP keeps.  Then, he works magic in managing to bring home a completely full truck every day.  This might seem like a long day for most of us, but Ron has been doing this cheerfully for twenty-five years.  Curran muses, “You can count on one hand the number of times he has called in a replacement for his run, and over the years he has earned the respect of not only everyone at BRP but all the produce houses in Boston as well - some of who would make the Sopranos seem like the Brady Bunch!”  

“Ron Wilkins has been part of Black River during all our years of expansion, and he has played a key role in our growth and success - trying as it has been at times.  He is a great example of the unwavering dedication that allows us to carry out the challenging service we provide.”