Office job left behind for produce | MARKETS PROFILE

FUSSY Fruit is a local, family-owned fruit and vegetable wholesaler, run by me and my wife Marienelle.

I started the business about 10 years ago from the ground up.

Originally I had it in my mind to do fruit and veg boxes for home and business deliveries, but we started getting more wholesale orders from restaurants and other venues and continued to grow the business from there.

I used to park my vehicle in an undesignated parking spot at the markets while I raced around to fill my orders, and I had a mobile cool box parked on the street outside my home to which I ran a lead.

I'm sure the neighbours hated me, but you've got to start somewhere.

Now I have a warehouse at the market and a fleet of five trucks, two vans and a ute.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

We really try of go over and beyond for our customers.

We try to always be there when they need us to get them out of tight situations.

For example, we'll deliver on a public holiday if they've been smashed the night before, and they've under-ordered, or if they've forgotten something that they really need.

We have such a fantastic relationship with our chefs that many of them take us with them when they change jobs; you can't get better loyalty than that.

What do you specialise in?

We see ourselves as an extension of their business rather than just a supplier.

I don't really like the description of supplier because it doesn't do justice to the service that we provide.

We are much more than a produce wholesaler.

Where do you source your produce from?

Although we buy direct from some local growers most of our produce is bought at the Rocklea market.

Who are your customers?

We are proud to supply some of Brisbane's finest restaurants, cafes and bars as well as child centres and aged care facilities.

We see ourselves as an important extension of each customer's business, ensuring that we deliver produce that is the freshest and of the highest quality.

We deliver in and around Brisbane, as far north as the Sunshine Coast and south to the Gold Coast.

How did you get into the fruit and veg business?

I was working for Vodafone on the phones in a office when this guy came in delivering produce boxes. He just happened to leave a docket which I read out of interest.

I did a few sums calculating how much he could be making, and filed the information in my head for later.

Shortly afterwards I decided that I didn't want to work in an office anymore and I'd like to work for myself so Fussy Fruit was born.

I didn't have any training in running a business, and I have built the business from the ground up through lots of hard work and trial and error.

What is your favourite thing about the market and the industry?

The best thing about my job is that I have two jobs, I get to go to the market to do the buying where I love the hustle, wheeling and dealing and atmosphere of the early morning and then I get to work with our chefs and other customers.

What's changed in at the market over the years?

The number of growers has definitely declined in the years that I have been going to the market, and it continues to do so.

We really need to start protecting our growers.

What would you change at the market if you could?

It would be nice for there to be more transparency between the farmers and the agents, and then the agents to us.

What is the key to a successful business?

Lots of hard work and determination to succeed are the keys to a successful business.

What have been some of the challenges that you have faced over the years?

It's a cut throat industry, which keeps you on your toes, and makes it all the more important to go that extra mile for your customers so that you keep those that you have and secure new ones via word of mouth.

What advice would you offer a young person starting out in the industry?

My advice would be, don't have a Plan B. Stick to your Plan A and give it everything you've got.

What does the future hold for the fruit and vegetable industry?

We really need to look after our farmers because they are being hammered with inflation which is not reflected in the return they make from their produce.

Something needs to be done, because at the end of the day we all have to eat, and without them we don't have an industry.