To Boston- By Land or Sea

Two markets supply a thriving fresh produce industry by land and sea, even as the disruptions common to today’s perishables trade continues.

Satisfying the needs of its burgeoning restaurant scene, institutional markets, retail establishments, and discerning consumers is what business in Boston is all about.

After all, food is a human constant and this historic city, Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market served as a hub for the area’s fruit and vegetable distribution until the mid-1900s. While Faneuil Hall Marketplace remains a shopping and restaurant destination, it is no longer a destination for fresh produce distribution.

Today, the New England Produce Center (NEPC) and the Boston Market Terminal (BMT) are Beantown’s prominent wholesale distribution centers for handling fresh and value-added produce items.

The NEPC built its Chelsea location in 1968, and many family run businesses from that time continue to operate there. Its smaller sibling market, the BMT, set up shop at its current location in Everett across from the NEPC a year later in 1969.

Both markets have seen considerable change over the years, as they continue to help feed the Boston’s sizeable population.

Michael Strock, director of business development at S. Strock & Company Inc. at the NEPC, spells out the way to survive in macro terms: “The produce industry is constantly evolving,” he says, “if you don’t stay ahead of the curve, you will quickly fall behind the competition.”

This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.

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