Tunica, Mississippi (August 14, 2009) – The AGA (American Gaming Association) held its first ever Diversity Award Ceremony. Ole Tyme Produce was nominated by Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, MO, and received the Diverse Vendor of the Year Award in Tunica Mississippi at the Congressional Black Caucus Convention.

Convenience made to order.
Ole Tyme announces new product.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (November 23, 2009) – Ole Tyme Produce announced today the addition of a new product Organic Cherry Tomatoes, and Organic and Conventional Grape Tomatoes.

Convenience made to order.
Ole Tyme announces new online shopping cart, specifically for produce buyers.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (November 15, 2006) – Ole Tyme Produce announced today the addition of a new online shopping cart feature for its web site (www.oletyme.com) that’s specifically designed for produce buyers. Produce Pro and Produce Pro E-Commerce are revolutionary software systems, developed by a leading name in produce distribution software, that allow designated Ole Tyme customers to enter orders, inquire about previous orders, review current ads, retrieve an electronic copy of their own price list, and even communicate directly with Ole Tyme Produce personnel.

Specific benefits of the new shopping cart feature include: security through a user name and password that are required to access the system; customers may log in any time to enter their orders; email confirmation of orders directly to your designated email address; order status tracking through any (or every) step of the delivery process; you can generate an electronic copy of your price list and/or order guide; you may look up items featured in Ole Tyme advertising; all features are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This exciting and beneficial feature will be available to online buyers beginning October 1, 2006.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (June 14, 2006) - Ole Tyme Produce is proud to launch a great feature for local produce. This calendar shows the actual produce for local farmers as well as their availability. All of this is to ensure the best quality for you and your customer.

Ole Tyme Produce Local Calendar

Ole Tyme Updates Their Sign

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (June 1, 2006) - Ole Tyme Produce announced today the launch of a new high graphic sign outside of their building.

Located on Produce Row in St. Louis, Missouri, Ole Tyme Produce has had a solid position in the St. Louis Produce market, and is very pleased to be able to give a new fresh look to their building.

Decals Raise Awareness and Showcase Freshness

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (May 23, 2005) - Ole Tyme Produce announced today the launch of a new line of trucks with unique decals. The new trucks will feature close-up photographs of various fruits and vegetables. The decals will raise awareness for the fresh produce company as well as showcase the quality of the product they are well known for.

"We wanted something unique on our fleet of trucks that coincides with our message of fresh and natural," Ole Tyme president Joan Daleo said. "We hope everyone will take notice of our traveling fleet because of the unique design."

Located on Produce Row in St. Louis, Missouri, Ole Tyme Produce is a wholesale fresh produce distributor of high quality perishables and specialty food products for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, clubs and catering foodservice industries.

Ole Tyme Produce's mission of supplying the highest quality of produce, backed by the best customer service, continues since its founder, Joe Daleo, refocused his produce stand business to wholesale trade in 1985. Today, Ole Tyme provides the freshest produce and specialty products possible. The company distributes perishables, grown all over the country and the world, enforced with the strictest food safety standards, to businesses throughout eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.

Ole Tyme Produce is a proud member of PRO*ACT, which is an organization of independent perishables distributors situated throughout the United States and Canada. These companies collectively purchase produce and market programs to national and regional customers. PRO*ACT companies are leading perishables distributors in their respective markets and have achieved excellence in many areas - management, financial standing, honest trade practices, food safety and facility security.

by Rick Desloge

As Joan Daleo sat down for an interview, she recited from memory a client's order -- ticking off what was going to the restaurant, what truck it was on and the number of cases. That level of detail is necessary to survive in the highly competitive food distribution business where margins of 1 percent are common, said Daleo, who is president of Ole Tyme Produce.

"This isn't a game about money. This is a lifestyle," said Daleo, who returned to St. Louis in 1996 to help her father, Joe Daleo, with the company. She did not intend to stay with Ole Tyme, she said, but as her father cut back his workload, Joan stepped in to fill the gap. She has been running the company since 1998.

Still, Daleo said the business is almost as perishable as the fruits and vegetables it delivers. Customers demand a high level of service, and yet none are under long-term contracts. Ole Tyme faces competition from smaller food distributors as well as larger national companies, such as Sysco Corp., which carry more products.

To survive, Ole Tyme has learned to be nimble and provide quality service. Daleo is among the few women running such a supply business locally.

"About 8 years ago, a company came in from Kansas City and started selling produce," said Aidan Murphy, chef at Old Warson Country Club. He started buying from that company and within a few weeks Joan Daleo paid him a visit. She told him she did not mind the competition, but asked Old Warson to at least keep its business in St. Louis.

Ole Tyme continues to supply Old Warson, which Murphy said is a testament to the company's consistency, but he shops from two produce companies, to assure he can always fill his last-minute orders.

In addition to local country clubs, Ole Tyme's customers include national restaurant chains such as The Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse and P.F. Chang's.

Key executives: Daleo, 42, is president of a family limited partnership that owns Ole Tyme. That group includes her father, Ole Tyme founder Joe Daleo, and her mother. Joan Daleo is the only family member working in the business full time. A sister, Sandy Corbett, works part time to procure all nonperishable food service supplies that Ole Tyme delivers. The business has a staff of 35.

History: Joe Daleo started Ole Tyme as a grocery store at Page Avenue and Midland Boulevard in 1973. Restaurants, schools and caterers started asking him to deliver produce, and Daleo started a delivery route early in the morning before opening the store. The delivery business continued to grow, even as mom and pop grocery businesses were on the wane.

Daleo closed the store in 1983 while he continued to expand his business with restaurants. He moved the operation to St. Louis' Produce Row in 1985.

Joan Daleo had been working in the mergers and acquisitions unit of PacifiCorp, a West Coast utility, after she graduated from Reed College in Portland, Ore. Originally, she was returning to St. Louis for a finance fellowship at Washington University. She did not win the fellowship, but took a job with Ole Tyme while she pursued an MBA at Washington University at night.

Revenue: Sales were $12 million for 2004. Daleo said she watches case counts on deliveries as much as dollars, usually pushing to deliver between 12,000 and 15,000 cases a week. Case counts more accurately reflect Ole Tyme's volume, because produce prices vary so much.

Professional services: Bill Giese, senior vice president with Bremen Bank and Trust Co., handles Ole Tyme's banking. Paul Seele, an attorney in private practice, handles the company's legal matters. David Sabino, an accountant in private practice, is the company's accountant, and Dan Brungard, a regional vice president with Kupper Parker Communications, provides Ole Tyme with marketing services.

The future: Joan Daleo plans to double Ole Tyme's case count to 30,000 a week. That will require Ole Tyme to acquire additional units on Produce Row, or to move to a new facility. Ole Time also is targeting new restaurants to help it meet its growth target.

rdesloge@bizjournals.com

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

Ole Tyme Produce, Inc. helped raise more than $1,200 this November for the 'No Hunger Holiday' event, which took place at the Cottleville Knights of Columbus Hall in St. Charles County. Each year, Ole Tyme Produce staff helps raise awareness and funding for families in need. In addition, Ole Tyme donated 24 turkeys so that families could enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Each year, 'No Hunger Holiday' provides local St. Charles families with all the fixings needed for a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner.

Provides Customers With 24- hour Online Portal Ordering and Tracking Capabilities

ST. LOUIS - Ole Tyme Produce, Inc., a premier fresh produce distributor, has launched a new Web site, www.oletyme.com which will give customers 24-hour seamless ordering capabilities and immediate access to produce and market reports, from PRO* ACT's Quality Assurance program.

"Restaurants, hotels, hospitals, clubs and caterers demand the freshest produce and specialty products possible, and they need to be able to access and track the availability of their produce when it is convenient for them," said Joan Daleo, president of Ole Tyme Produce. "Through technology our 'produce stand' is open 24 hours - and we can supply our customers with information about the selection of fresh produce and specialty produces that will be available, so they can plan their menus with confidence."

Ole Tyme Produces' mission of supplying the highest quality of produce, backed by the best customer service, continues since its founder, Joe Daleo, refocused his produce stand business to wholesale trade in 1985. Today, Ole Tyme provides restaurants, hotels, hospitals, clubs and caterers with the freshest produce and specialty products possible.

"We will do our very best to make our customer interactive buying experience as pleasing as possible," continues Daleo. "We continue expanding our products and services and look forward to feedback from our customers."

About Ole Tyme Produce, Inc.:
Located on Produce Row in St. Louis, Missouri, Ole Tyme Produce is a wholesale fresh produce distributor of high quality perishables and specialty food products for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, clubs and catering foodservice industries. Ole Tyme began as a produce stand over 30 years ago. Today, the company handles perishables, grown from all other the country and world, enforced with the strictest food safety standards, six days a week to businesses throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan Region. Ole Tyme Produce is a proud member of PRO*ACT, which are independent perishables distributors situated throughout the United States and Canada. These companies collectively purchase produce and market programs to national and regional customers. PRO*ACT companies are leading perishables distributors in their respective markets and have achieved excellence in many areas--management, financial standing, honest trade practices, food safety and facility security.