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About North American Produce Buyers

Learn about our family history.

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Behind the Scenes

Learn about our family history.

Our Produce

Take a look at our selection of fruits.

Our Promise to You

Our fruit is guaranteed to be fresh!

Meet Our Growers

What growers have to say about North American Produce Buyers.

|Welcome to North American Produce Buyers

North American Produce Buyers is a trusted buyer and wholesaler of international produce, serving Canadian food retailers for over 50 years. Our mission is:

“To procure and wholesale the highest quality fresh produce from around the world.”

By focusing on our mission, we have become one of the largest importers of Chilean produce in Canada. Our commitment to our partners is rewarded through their loyalty and abundant supply of deliciously perfect fruits.

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|Our History: Family-Owned for Three Generations

For over 50 years, North American Produce Buyers has been operating out of the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto, Ontario, becoming a vital part of the terminal community.

Overview

  • Morris Shoom founded North American Produce Buyers on January 18, 1960. By pairing his generosity with his knowledge of the produce business, Mr. Shoom laid the foundation of the family-owned business that continues to thrive today.
  • After Mr. Shoom’s passing in December 2002, his legacy continued via a second generation, under the direction of his son-in-law, Howard Davidson. Howard, currently president of North American Produce Buyers, has happily been a market fixture for over 40 years. Now he provides guidance to the third generation, continuing to guarantee food retailers with high-quality produce.

North American Produce Buyers is honored to sustain a tradition that was established over 50 years ago: a family-run organization that is passionate about high-quality produce; is generous at heart; and happy by nature.

Our Guarantee

At North American Produce, we go above and beyond to make sure we provide you with the best, freshest produce possible. That's our guarantee!

|What We Offer

Fresh Produce

Fresh fruit is essential for our well-being, and that is why procuring fruit is a job we take seriously. We specialize in importing stone fruit (cherries, peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines) and citrus, plus the world’s best varieties of grapes, melons and apples. We proudly supply Toronto’s high-end food retailers with the highest quality produce available. From tasting numerous fruits to meeting the finest growers in their home countries, we go that extra mile to bring you and your consumers the most flawless, freshest fruits.

Reliable Service

As a third-generation business, North American Produce Buyers continually strives to exceed expectations in both product and service. We never stop working when we’ve reached a certain level of success; we’re always seeking to improve our product lineup, technologies, packaging and presentation, keeping our eyes and ears open for concerns. Our approach to customer service is well rounded, accommodating both the grower’s and food retailer’s needs.

Great Growers

In order to provide food retailers with the freshest fruit possible, we’re constantly communicating with our growers. Our growers have become extensions of our family; we want to help their farms and businesses prosper, while making sure their top-quality fruit reaches your business and your consumers. The foundation of our relationships with the growers is based on a common passion for fruit, combined with integrity, honesty, trust and consistency. We wouldn’t have our level of success without our growers; click here to meet them.

“We believe in providing our clients with the freshest produce.”

|Our Produce

Our key strength is the quality of our relationships with our partners. This translates into providing our clients with the highest quality produce. Our retail clients demand fresh and naturally delicious produce and we’re happy to always meet their needs. Please browse our selection of fresh produce below to see what we have to offer:

 

“What we’re most proud of is our relationship with our growers.”

|Meet Our Growers

We take pride in the strength and quality of relationships fostered through partnerships from North and South America, Europe and Africa. Our goal is to make each of our partnerships mutually beneficial; when you specialize in procuring and wholesaling the best produce, we know this is the only approach to take. Here’s what our growers have to say about partnering with us:

Maury Debenedetto, President, Debenedetto Farms

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“We are a third generation family farming business that specializes in figs. When we wanted to grow our operation, we needed someone to properly represent our product in the Toronto market. When we were introduced to North American, we found another family-run business that mirrored what we believe in: honesty and integrity. Our business has grown tremendously in Toronto and we believe it’s because of the relationship we have formed with North American. We look forward to growing and strengthening that relationship in the years to come. They have become like family, something we believe very strongly in.”

Juan Gabriel Perez, Commercial Manager, GESEX S.A.

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“We originally selected North American Produce Buyers because they have the same business approach and deal with us [using] honesty and energy, with a long-term business view.

…North American Produce Buyers have earned the exclusivity of our label in Canada and, together, we have been able to grow our business by building a strong and mutually beneficial…relationship.

In a business where many buyers have been moving to more average quality and lower-priced products, North American Produce Buyers have been able to continue working with premium suppliers based in each strategic country, who aim to grow the highest quality product. This has been their key to supplying the most quality-discerning supermarkets and customers [who require] the best product in their stores all year, regardless of season. With North American Produce Buyers, quality always comes first.”

Matt Reel, Director of Sales, IMG Citrus

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“We partnered with North American Produce Buyers because we feel they have positioned themselves as the premier wholesaler in the Toronto area…We feel they are one of the best companies worldwide to deal with. Through honest communication and hard work, we have created a true win-win relationship between IMG Citrus and North American Produce Buyers.”

Mark Berlinger, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Wawona Packing

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“We have been doing business with North American Produce Buyers since 1999. At Wawona, we had a plan to partner with the best wholesalers in their respective markets on the North American continent.

In Toronto, that meant partnering with North American Produce Buyers … They are an extension of our sales office. North American markets our fruit in their market to maximize our profits, ensuring their customers have the best tree fruit available on a consistent basis.

[North American Produce Buyers] look at the big picture and they look at our overall tree fruit program. From there, they put a plan in place to move all items we pack to the right customer. North American treats their growers with respect and puts forth the effort to ensure a win-win situation for their growers as well as their customers!”

Bill Knight, Domestic Sales Manager, Northern Fruit Company

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“We have enjoyed the many benefits [that] North American Produce Buyers provides: honesty, integrity and working hard for our brand.

We get timely market information, which is important in a market as large as Toronto. We did not know much about North American before meeting with them in May 2009. We were impressed by the people we met and their pay history. Getting paid on a timely basis for our growers’ and packers’ hard work is very important to us.

NAP is flexible when it comes to shipping manifests and logistical issues. They are well connected with many customers in their market and can adjust quickly, which is key when working with our fruits (cherries).”

Cristian Tagle, Commercial Manager, San Francisco Lo Garces

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“We chose North American Produce Buyers because we have the same goal [of] adding value on the grower side in a sustainable way. We also agree that high quality and consistency are keys for achieving these goals.

We chose North American as a partner due to the permanent marketing development and support our brand receives on the items we grow and sell. It is a good complement for our strategy [to sell] directly to a few chain stores. Our company benefits from constant, reliable and timely information from the marketplace to make the right decisions. As a result, we get an outstanding return for our premium fruit.

North American Produce Buyers read the market ahead of time. They…work only with the best people on both sides of the business. They look for ways to improve what they do day-by-day for the benefit of their customers and suppliers. And finally, they do exactly what they say they will do.”

|Contact North American Produce Buyers


For more information or to learn how to become a partner, please call, e-mail or fax us Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm EST.


Company Address:
Ontario Food Terminal
165 The Queensway Ste. 336
Toronto, ON M8Y 1H8
Sales and Purchasing:
Phone: 416-255-5544
Fax: 416-255-7573
Offices:
Phone: 416-255-4436
Fax: 416-255-0243
E-mail:
naproduce@naproduce.com

|Our Team

Corporate

Larry Davidson – President
l.davidson@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-5544
Mobile: 416-676-1313
Steven Moffat
– V.P. Finance

s.moffat@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-4436
Mobile: 416-676-3237
Gord Love
– V.P. Business Development

g.love@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-5544
Mobile: 905-577-2570
Stephan Schmekel
– EVP Sales and Marketing

s.schmekel@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-5544
Mobile: 514-966-1067

Accounting

Magdalena Pong,
Accounts Receivable

m.pong@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-4436

Carmela Bigotti,
Office Manager

c.bigotti@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-4436
Rudina Fishka,
Warehouse Accounting

r.fishka@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-5544
Rita Galardo,
Accounts Payable & Import Documentation

r.galardo@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-4436

Sales

Sam Kanellopoulos
sam@naproduce.com
Business: 416-255-5544
Mobile: 416-676-2350
Giovanni “John” Tatone
Business: 416-255-5544
Mobile: 416-676-0589
Ho “Henry” Vi Lai
Business: 416-255-5544
Mobile: 416-400-9887

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