The team at AndNowUKnow and The Snack Magazine operates like a well-oiled machine. With gears turning, at what some would call an impossible rate, we function best when pressure is high. And, in produce, when is it not?
Our success is equally dependent on each of the three departments we operate under—editorial, sales, and design. Aiming to go beyond customer service and establish genuine relationships, we wield words, images, and ideas to convey each of your incredibly unique stories. The magnitude of that gift is not lost on us.
Why, you might ask, am I singing the high praises of my incredible team? Because for the next couple of pages, I’m asking you to turn your attention to another multi-pronged operation—one that is propelling Sysco’s growth trajectory in produce. I draw many parallels between our two company cultures, which is probably why we have become close friends with the people behind this distribution giant.
And one of them, as you might have guessed, is Vice President of Produce Julie Olivarria.
Julie Olivarria, Vice President of Produce, Sysco: In the United States, Sysco offers produce through our Broadline business, FreshPoint, and our specialty companies. While this is a multi-pronged business, we aim to go to market as One Sysco, providing a seamless, unparalleled customer experience. Our approach brings Sysco’s specialty sales teams and our Broadline sales teams together to offer our customers the full power of our product assortment and solutions tailored to their needs.
Whether a customer needs unique specialty items delivered five days a week, or competitively priced core items delivered weekly, we have a program and distribution channel for every customer.
JO: Across Sysco, we have many colleagues directly focused on selling produce. We work together to leverage the strong customer insights and expertise of our Produce Specialists in Broadline and combine them with the deeper assortment, operational flexibility, and product expertise of our FreshPoint and specialty sales teams. Together, we can offer customers a solution tailored specifically to their needs.
JO: By leveraging the full power of our Specialty and Broadline distribution channels, we can provide meaningful solutions to our customers with the flexibility they need. Additionally, we leverage the buying power of both channels to seek out some of the most competitive buy-side contracts in the industry.
By leveraging the full power of our Specialty and Broadline distribution channels, we can provide meaningful solutions to our customers with the flexibility they need.”
Julie Olivarria, Vice President of Produce, Sysco
JO: Our mission is to deliver success for our customers through industry-leading people, products, and solutions.
We want to make it extremely easy for our customers to do business with Sysco, meeting their basic grocery needs as well as their more specialized needs, with a custom solution tailored for each customer.
Of course, none of these ambitious goals would be possible without folks like Julie at the helm. As someone who takes deep pride in her company culture, I am quick to point out when I recognize the strengths of another one. Strengths I am sure Sysco will use as the foundation for its future success. 
