“Ontario is a critical region for our business, and one that we’re uniquely positioned to serve,” said Jordan Grainger, vice president of sales and business development for the company. “Being headquartered in Detroit means we’re able to service customers throughout the Ontario area quickly and easily, as well as source high-quality produce from the region. While Canada has always been a key distribution area for us, it continues to grow and we’re actively expanding further into it as well.”

One facet of that is contributing to the greater Canadian produce industry, such as attending the annual CPMA conference and serving on the organization’s education committee.

“Operating out of a border state for over 100 years has made us intimately familiar with cross-border distribution, and we handle all of the necessary back-end work to import and export product without interruption,” Grainger said. “We don’t allow weather shifts to impact our process, as we work to anticipate and solve for any hiccups due to inclement weather, such as rain or snowstorms, in advance.”

Sustainability is a top priority for Ben B.’s Canadian customers and there is an increased interest in reducing plastics and finding more eco-friendly alternatives to packaging, which is something the company offers as part of its repacking and bagging services.

“Our local grower program is one of the cornerstones of our business,” Grainger said. “When we can source locally and distribute, our communities benefit. Canadian retailers are also putting a priority on reducing plastics, and we’re happy to offer them eco-friendly repacking and bagging options that align with their sustainability goals.”

Ben B. is known for its in-house ERP and logistics systems and these tools have improved service to its Canadian customers.

“Our ERP platform Ben B. Access allows us to work smarter and serve our customers better,” Grainger said. “Particularly with our Canadian customers, they have greater transparency into the status of their orders which is critical given the border crossing. Their trucks are tracked in real time and we have the ability to connect with drivers directly for up-to-the-minute status updates.”

The company considers itself a full service partner to its customers, meaning that whatever fresh produce they need or however they need it delivered, Ben B. can meet those needs.

“We know the importance of providing value to our customers and eliminating the need for them to outsource additional work, which is why we’re happy to offer repacking, bagging and private labelling,” Grainger said.

Looking ahead, Ben B. expects to expand its presence in Canada over the next few years. “We’ve been proudly serving the Ontario region for decades and are actively expanding our footprint in the area,” Grainger said. “In addition to growing our operations geographically, we’re focused on growing our offerings as well — sourcing whatever they need at the quality they expect and prices they appreciate, while building in the services they need to make the fresh produce they order ready for the end user.”