Paul Massey Discusses Fresh Edge in Partnering With TruFresh

VINELAND, NJ - In an industry as passionate and tumultuous as fresh produce is, connection is key. With limited resources to feed the world, providers often need to share more than shelf space, and one company that saw the potential to maximize support was TruFresh, a separate division of Trucco.

“Expanding our existing facility gave a lot more options for Trucco; we now have pallet capacity for ourselves and for others in the industry,” Paul Massey, Director of Business Development, shared. “We’re happy to take on third-party customers. One long-term customer has been with us for a few seasons.”

Although TruFresh and Trucco share the same facility, they operate on completely separate systems—TruFresh’s operating system is independent.

With a unique story from its inception, TruFresh prides itself on being shaped by produce experience when approaching logistics.

“One thing we like to stress to all customers, current and new, is that we are a fresh produce company first and foremost. For myself, I grew up in the industry. I received my JD and practiced law for 12 years, but produce gets in your blood, and I was welcomed back with open arms,” Paul said of his and the division’s fresh roots. “In the time I was away, from 1994–2006, the industry saw exponential changes. I was able to reacclimate and be reintroduced with the added asset of my legal experience.”

Under its roof, TruFresh offers three high-tech, state-of-the-art bagging machines, and several hand-packing lines, in addition to an automated cherry line. Additional resources include:

• 180,000-plus square feet of brand-new, pristine storage and production space
• 6,500-plus pallet capacity for ample storage
• 28 dock doors for high-volume capacity
• Cold storage with seven temperature-controlled rooms
• On-site quality control inspection by PrimusGFS and USDA Organic certified team saves time and avoids extra storage costs
• USDA-APHIS-PPQ Certified Cold Treatment Facility

“What sets us apart is there’s no steep learning curve—one of our customers said our produce IQ was very high,” Paul joked. “If a customer has a problem, we aren’t just solving it; we are anticipating what is to come and getting ahead of the next challenge. We are constantly offering new ideas on how they can be better with what they’re packing. It’s our knowledge that sets us apart.”

But the ultimate goal of TruFresh, I learn from Paul, is not just to contribute to our industry but to elevate it.

“Relationships are key. We are not going to turn our backs on each other when it comes down to it. When I am full and someone calls looking for space, I understand where they are and will do all I can to help. We maintain great relationships throughout the grower community—this past year, we were able to call on some growers where I grew up, knowing their coolers were empty. The result was moving 20–30 loads of product with a few phone calls,” Paul explained.

The long-term vision? To keep customers happy, even in produce.

“We are placing strategies for growth. This is only the beginning,” Paul promised.

Strategically located and offering a one-stop facility for cold storage, inspection, and packing, there is clearly much to anticipate from this up-and-coming produce resource.