Transcript

Tim Ezell:

Getting fresh food to you. That is the goal of Ole Tyme Produce. And they've been doing it for 50 years. We're taking you inside. Coming up, Fox 2 News in the morning at 9 a.m..

Kim Hudson:

Angela, thank you so much. Do you know where your food comes from? Tim Ezell knows a place that has been serving up freshness for 50 years.

00:00:28:24 - 00:00:49:20

Kim Hudson:

He's in Saint Charles checking out Ole Tyme Produce. Good morning, Tim.

Tim Ezell:

Good morning, Kim. Yeah, we're at Ole Tyme Produce where they are in fact celebrating 50 years this year. Joan DiLeo is the CEO and president. Thank you so much for having us in today.

Joan DiLeo:

Oh, it's been great to have you guys.

Tim Ezell:

It has been awesome. Tell me what room we're in right now.

00:00:49:22 - 00:01:14:27

Joan DiLeo:

We are in split case room. So we do split case production here.

Tim Ezell:

So you tell me there's there's five things you do here, right? So go over those with me.

Joan DiLeo:

We purchase, we receive, we store and handle. We fill orders. So we load and ship and then we deliver. Those are the five functions.

Tim Ezell:

And there's a lot of food going in and out of here.

00:01:14:29 - 00:01:37:24

Joan DiLeo:

Yeah. Every night we're. We're loading 19 straight trucks and delivering throughout about 175 mile ring from Saint Louis.

Tim Ezell:

Let's take a little walk. We're just kind of walking around here seeing all the different produce here. There's so much that you have coming in and out of here. What is the challenge? We were talking earlier. We want our food when we want it.

00:01:37:24 - 00:02:00:19

Tim Ezell:

We, you know, used to we ate seasonally what was in season, but now we want grapes when we want grapes. We want oranges year round. What is the challenge in that?

Joan DiLeo:

Yeah, I mean, I think the challenge is, is bringing all of this imported items in. Obviously the challenge with the shipping, the containers, the unloading and then the trucking from those ports into cities like Saint Louis.

00:02:00:21 - 00:02:27:06

Joan DiLeo:

And so obviously that was disrupted during the COVID era. I think we're starting to get to smooth sailing. But labor is still the challenge in all of the sections of the supply chain.

Tim Ezell:

Yeah, no doubt about it. And you you were talking earlier as well that through the COVID and and all of that and the supply chain issues, you take your role very seriously, you're stewarding these items until they can get to the people who need them.

00:02:27:09 - 00:02:50:02

Joan DiLeo:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we have clients that don't have a choice. I mean, you have to be there. So regardless of what the situation is, whether everybody shows up, whether there's ice or whether there's COVID or whatever, you still got to deliver. And and so that's our job. And then, you know, we take it very seriously. We're here 365 days a year.

00:02:50:02 - 00:03:15:26

Joan DiLeo:

We closed just a handful of days a year.

Tim Ezell:

What's it mean, 50 years to you? Your folks started it.

Joan DiLeo:

Oh, it's it's really unbelievable. I mean, no one expects this. No one starts companies. In fact, Jeff Bezos recently referred to companies as having a 30 year lifespan. So every company that's lasted passed that in my mind has reinvented, have done more, have reached another inflection point.

00:03:15:29 - 00:03:32:17

Tim Ezell:

Well, thanks for all you do to supply food to all of us in this area. It's it's a it's one of the most important, if not the most important supply chain there is, which is our food. Thank you so much.

Joan DiLeo:

Well, thank you, guys. It's it's it's our privilege, really.

Tim Ezell:

I love it. They love what they do.

00:03:32:20 - 00:03:44:25

Tim Ezell:

That’s what it is. It's Ole Tyme Produce celebrating 50 years. Keep it right here. We got more coming your way. It's Fox 2 News at 9 a.m.. Stay with us.