The People Behind the Produce

Pete Lombardo, to borrow a phrase from James Brown, is on the team of the hardest working men (and women!) in the produce industry! He's on our night crew and helps put together customer orders and gets them ready for our drivers to deliver. He sets the orders for the north Scottsdale and west Phoenix deliveries. Pete is originally from Hurley, Wisconsin. He's married with 3 children and 3 grandchildren. Pete splits his time between Payson, where he lives, and Phoenix where he helps take care of his mother. If that's not enough to keep him busy, he also has a garden with cucumbers, tomatoes and corn that he tends to in Payson.

What is your favorite part of the job? I really enjoy making sure that the orders are put together correctly and that we have the best quality of product. Each customer has different things that they like and I want to make sure they all get what they're looking for. I've learned a lot about specialty produce here too. One day, we had some rambutans in the warehouse. They were the oddest fruit I had ever seen, so I took a picture of them to show my wife and son. When I went home that night and showed them the picture, we talked about where they were from and how they are prepared. The next week, my son went to school and his teacher brought a picture of a rambutan she had just gotten. She asked the class if anyone knew what it was and my son was the only one who knew! He asks me all the time now to take pictures of the specialty products we have here.

What is your favorite movie? I'm a big Sci-Fi fan so I'd say my favorite movie is Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. The special effects are amazing.

What is your favorite music/band? Country Western and the oldies are my favorite types of music. I go to the casino and have had the chance to see the tribute band for the Four Tops and really enjoyed that show.

TV Show? Star Trek: The Next Generation, of course!

Food? A good steak, medium rare, can't be beat! Of course working here, I also like fruit too. Cantaloupe and honeydew are probably my favorites.

What was your first job? I worked at a restaurant as a dishwasher and salad maker at the old Joe Hunt's in the Scottsdale Fashion Square before they tore it down.

If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? My father passed away a few years ago, so I'd like to have dinner with him again.

What do you do in your leisure time? I like to work with wood and make cabinets. My friend works at one of the casinos and we bought a poker table. We took it apart and studied it and now we make poker tables to sell.

What is your favorite quote or piece of advice you'd like to share? Do a good job and give positive feedback. People respond so much better when they have someone telling them when the do the right thing.

Well Pete, we think you do a great job and our customers appreciate the care and attention you give them on all of their orders! Thanks for making our start of the day the best it can be.

Fresh Produce Audit Verification Program

Food safety is important to everyone. Our team has made the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) a priority to make sure we're leading the way to conform to the best practices.

Recently, we invited AMS, in partnership with state departments of agriculture, to come in and audit our facilities. This audit verifies the adherence to the recommendations made in the Food and Drug Administration’s Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.

We are very excited that out of a possible 420 points, we received 415 - a 98.9%! Way to go team!

Would you like a tour to see what HACCP is all about and why it's important to you, our customer? Give us a call and we'd love to show you around the warehouse! Just give us a call or ask your sales executive. Or, if you'd like some more information about HACCP and our program, call John Mothershead, HACCP Manager.

Hajimemashite Yoroshiku!

When you find something that is good, you pass it along. We are excited to offer items from Nihon Shokken.

Check out these products from our new partner, Nihon Shokken, to spice up your dishes or create a new twist for your menu:

'Super Crispy Batter' - Stays crunchy for up to 2 hours! Try this batter on fish & chips, braised cubed short ribs tempura, shrimp and lobster tacos. Substitute water with Modelo Negro beer or a stout ale for a deeper color.

Japanese Dressing - Wasabi and Yuzu flavored dressings that can be used on its own or as a base ingredient. Try it on salads or as a sauce for seafood and steaks.

Kabayaki Sauce - This eel sauce is used for food decoration to create a beautiful shine thick and viscous enough to be easily used for food decoration. It includes soy sauce, syrup, eel extract, and mirin. For best results, heat eel sauce in a metal or glass container placed in 3/4 inch boiling water on the stove

Yakiniku Sauce - This is a Japanese barbeque sauce with a blend of garlic, fruits and spices in a soy sauce base. Use this for meat sauces, rice and your favorite vegetable stir fry recipes.

Black Pepper Sauce - A spicy sauce made of a good balance of pepper and garlic and a soy sauce base. Use as a gravy for your favorite steaks or as a base sauce for stir-frying.

Seaweed Mix - This mix contains 6 kinds of seaweed of assorted colors. Dish up rehydrated dried seaweed mix with shrimp and salmon and finish with Japanese dressing. Use it as a colorful garnish.

Let us know what you think or call us with any questions.

Thanks!