JOHN CORDINA DISCUSSES THE DAILY CHALLENGES, THE RISKS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND THE TICKING CLOCK OF THE FRESH PRODUCE INDUSTRY.
“Life in fresh produce isn’t easy; it isn’t simple, but it is what I know and what I love.” John Cordina, Managing Director – Hydro Produce.
There must be something about those super early starts.
Early starts in farming are a given. Up early finish late. Fresh produce waits for nobody, and it’s a race against the clock every day to get the produce from farm to store in the shortest amount of time possible.
The Hydro Produce business starts in the early hours of the morning and before sun-up we will have already received 80% of our produce from the farms and into our Sydney based packing facility.
John Cordina, who took over the reins of the business from his father in 2010 runs Hydro Produce around the clock. Only closing for two days per year over Christmas and Easter.
“I am used to the early starts; it’s all I know. Growing up, Dad would always be on the farm and working before dawn, when I was a teenager I started working weekends and school holidays. Looking back, it probably kept me out of trouble too!” says John.
A young John Cordina on the family farm.
AT HYDRO PRODUCE NO TWO DAYS ARE THE SAME.
“I spend most of my time across our two Sydney packing facilities and the balance on the farms. I love being on the farm because it’s where it all began for our family. I do love the buzz of our packing facilities though – the product coming in and out, knowing what we produce and pack will be part of someone’s breakfast, lunch or dinner is very satisfying” says John.
“The biggest challenges we face are acts outside our control from Mother Nature. The other challenge we face is time, the race to get our produce to retailers in the shortest time possible.”
MANAGING A FRESH PRODUCE BUSINESS
One thing is certain at Hydro Produce, even if Mother Nature is not. We have an unwavering dedication to best practice. From sustainable growing methods used across all our farms. To the use of our own transport ensuring a tight logistic chain from farms to retailers.
We offer a quality product to our customers – only packing and sending produce we would serve to our own families, “We consistently maintain our small business qualities – to operate with integrity and excel in customer service, and finally, the daily question my team and I always ask of ourselves; how we can improve, what can we do better?”
At Hydro Produce we do more than just grow and supply fresh produce – we give nourishment, we enrich lives and encourage good health.
We are always looking to grow our family as well as we grow our produce.
Would you like to join the Hydro Produce family? We’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch and join our farming family or become part of our support and operational team.