Doing It ‘Ripe’ At EXP Group LLC

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Fresh Perspectives on QC, Technology and Innovation with EXP Group LLC President Anthony Serafino

EXP Group LLC is a multinational group of companies specializing in the production, importation and wholesale distribution of tropical fruits and vegetables from Central and South America to the U.S. and global market. From its 293,000 square foot, 35 acre corporate headquarters facility and distribution center in North Bergen, New Jersey, EXP Group oversees a vast network of foreign and domestic farms, packing facilities, export and logistical operations that together make EXP Group one of the most efficient and streamlined wholesale produce operations in the business.

Meeting the individual needs of customers across a wide spectrum of the retail, wholesale and food service industry while delivering superior quality day in and day out poses a monumental challenge from a quality control standpoint. Few know this better than company President Anthony Serafino, who oversees day-to-day operations of the company started more than 40 years ago by his father, EXP Group founder and CEO Emil Serafino. We asked Anthony about the QC challenges of being a cutting edge wholesaler in one of the world’s most competitive markets.

Q: What are EXP Group’s biggest challenges when it comes to quality control? 

At EXP Group, quality control is literally baked into everything we do. It’s part of our culture. If you want to be cutting edge, if you want to sustain the type of high growth model that we are following, you must be able to deliver what each and every customer needs day in and day out. If you can’t you’re not going to get repeat orders. It’s that simple. We specialize in making sure we have systems in place that ensure a quality product from farm to market and we work with people and companies who believe in the same thing. That’s the only way to make it happen.

Here in the New York and northeastern region where we started, there are a lot of really good companies competing for the same business. But to be the best you have to go beyond good, you have to be great! We say it every day here at EXP. Again, it is part of our culture and it goes all the way from the bottom to the top because our goal is and has always been to deliver quality over price, always. And our customers respect that. They know we truly believe that each and every piece of fruit, every vegetable we sell represents who we are as a company and that means superior quality control every step of the way. That’s especially true when it comes to bananas and plantains.

Q: What’s different about bananas and plantains?

Bananas and plantains are a big part our business and they’re different because of the wide variety of color variations the market demands. For most fruit there’s essentially one stage of ripeness but for bananas it’s different. A retail grocery chain may need a truckload or two of bananas ripened to a color stage 3 each week while a school system or sports venue needs a color stage 5 that’s ready to eat. Some want green bananas that are just breaking while others want a color 6 ready for baking. The same holds true for plantains. In fact, we sell more plantains than bananas. And when you consider we’re processing more than 700 pallets, 33,600 cases of bananas every day, well, you can see that becomes a pretty big number!

Through it all, we make absolutely certain each customer receives the exact color they demand with the quality, consistency, uniformity and shelf life that makes bananas from EXP the best in the business. We literally hear that from our customers. And we often see it in fruit handled by some of our competitors which we know came off the exact same container ship at the very same time. It takes organization, knowledge, the best technology and quality relationships along each of the supply chain. But most of all it takes a firm commitment to providing your customers with the highest quality product each and every day. 

Q: So how do you get things “ripe” for your customers when it comes to bananas and plantains, if you’ll pardon the pun?

For us, the process began back in 2012 when we decided to have our own ripening rooms installed. It’s a substantial investment and we made the decision because we wanted greater control over our own destiny as a company. We felt that being able to ripen our own fruit instead of relying on others was essential for delivering the consistent high quality we believe in while providing the various color stages our customers demand. After an extensive selection process, we chose Thermal Technologies to design and install the rooms because, based on everything we saw and everyone we spoke to, we felt they took the same pride in their work as we do, which is exactly the type of partnerships we look for.

Having our own rooms has been a game changer. The first 21 rooms we installed basically doubled our business. A dozen years later, we now have 35 ripening rooms delivering 50 truckloads of daily capacity with more on the way. The ROI has been off the charts! Look, we firmly believe that in this business you’ve got to spend money to make money. To be the best requires constant investment, continuous improvement, rigorous training and a winning culture. It’s something we take pride in, which is why we begin every relationship with a tour of our facilities so that new or potential customers are able to experience that commitment first hand.

The ripening rooms are a big part of it! What we like most about our Thermal Tech rooms is they give us a consistent platform that allows us to ripen according to our own particular schedule, our own particular recipe with consistent, uniform results. They’re a standardized tool that allows us to get the results we need for our customers, pallet-by-pallet or even box-by-box. We can even ripen to different color stages in the same room at the same time with our dual-temp rooms. Having this kind of flexibility is key, because fruit from Ecuador ripens differently than fruit from Columbia or Costa Rica, and by having a standard ripening platform, we’re able to take in fruit with all these variables and still deliver exactly what our customers need.

[RELATED: The Future Of Retail Ripening]

Q: Has the growth in banana and plantain sales impacted sales of other commodities?

Plantains and bananas are a big part of our business. We’re probably one of, if not the largest supplier of green and ripe plantains in United States. But our focus on quality doesn’t stop there so neither do the sales. Bananas are the most visible of all fruit, obviously. That’s true whether you’re a top 20 retailer or a wholesaler. Bananas, and for us plantains as well, have to be the best because just like a retailer, banana quality reflects on every other perishable you sell. So in that regard, just like for large retailers, there’s no doubt the quality of our bananas and plantains have a positive impact on the sales of our other commodities. Our numbers reflect that.

That said, as a company we’re equally committed to the providing same quality, the same consistency with all of our products, whether it’s our in-house Rosita or Serafino brand fruit and produce or that of our many global partners and suppliers. Sales of all our products have grown across the board right along with sales of our ripened fruit. In fact, it would be fair to say this entire phase of exponential growth really started with our decision to invest in ripening rooms. Back then we focused almost entirely on tropical fruit. Today, our business has expanded to include the full array of produce from peppers and onions to potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes and more.

We’re growing – constantly investing, constantly expanding. But through all of it we never lose sight of the individual needs of each and every one of our customers and never compromise on quality. It’s who we are, it’s what the EXP Group stands for and it’s what keep us growing, keeps us investing in success day after day, month after month, year after year. It’s fundamental to the EXP Group brand and its why 40 years after my father started the company, we continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

Q: Do you believe this level of growth is sustainable?

Absolutely! Look, when you start with the right goals, invest the necessary systems and technology like our ripening rooms and develop the right culture, a culture that everyone at EXP Group firmly believes in, anything is possible! Again, there are a lot of companies out there who are good but we strive always to be great.

We’re now serving customers from our newest facility in McAllen Texas with more facilities to be announced soon and frankly…it’s exciting! Being able to deliver the highest quality and most beautifully ripened fruit and produce to more and more customers across the country and around the world – that’s what EXP Group is all about. And for me and everyone at the company, being able to continue what my father started so many years ago will continue to be a truly rewarding experience.

Anthony Serafino can be reached at [email protected].