Schnucks' Tyler Sluss Talks Closing the Gap Between Supply and Shelf Through SEPC's STEP-UPP Program

MIAMI, FL - Tyler Sluss is perfectly positioned to understand the importance of a solid supply chain. Having worked his way through the front-facing store side of Schnucks to behind the scenes in quality assurance and now buying, he has found himself with an opportunity to be the boots on the ground of the other side of the produce journey through the Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) 2026 STEP-UPP program.

“It is so worth it to get out there and experience everything that they've shown us and build those relationships that we've built these past couple of months. The time commitment's worth it,” Tyler told me. "Most people who are stocking shelves don't know a lot of where their produce came from, how it was grown, the people it takes to grow it, or how it gets there. There's a lot of labor and effort that goes into it. But a lot of people here want to know where their fruit and veg comes from, whether that be Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Missouri. That's always a big push for us in the summer is that local produce and people want to know where their stuff is coming from."

And STEP-UPP gives a handful of buy-side members the opportunity to experience this firsthand from both retail and foodservice, exploring different farms and facilities and meeting close partners of SEPC to learn more about the process and the people that can help everyone better understand—and ultimately navigate—inevitable challenges.

"I had heard from other co-workers that had done this program a bit of what to expect, and they've all said great things, but I don't think they really drove home just how cool it is," Tyler said. "You say you're going to farms and seeing fields, but once you get out there and meet all the people, see your classmates, and experience everything—I can't say enough about it, how important it is just to go out and be boots on the ground and see it all firsthand."

Some of that comes down to the class itself. Tyler said the group felt like family well before their most recent stop together.

"We all go in not knowing each other, but by that first or second dinner, it just feels like we're all one big happy family," Tyler shared. "I don't think that's ever going to stop. That connection part of it, we're going to be connected together for the foreseeable future, even after this program is done."

That instinct to stay connected, Tyler added, echoed what was heard consistently throughout the group’s most recent trip to Florida.

"I think that's been the big message: stay involved and keep up with each other," Tyler said. "A lot of people can talk and preach that, but I think SEPC actually lives and practices it and wants us all to succeed—to go on and do more."

For Tyler, 14 years into his career at Schnucks, the return on the time away comes down to what he'll carry forward.

"I'm looking forward to saying I completed it, to look back and say I have some more industry knowledge now," Tyler explained. "To accomplish this and make a lot of connections, it will feel great to complete a course that is going to help me for the rest of my produce buying career."

His advice for anyone hesitant to make the time: don't be.

"It may seem like a lot of time commitment, but once you're there and you're experiencing it, that all goes by the wayside," he concluded.

As the 2026 STEP-UPP Class heads toward graduation at SEPC's Southern Innovations in Nashville, TN, in September, Tyler said he plans to keep showing up for the industry that raised him—one conversation at a time.