From little things, big things grow
Jerald Downs in Visalia, California, USA.
“I run my own produce export company, Premier Pac, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We specialize in the distribution of Berries, Table-grapes, Asparagus, Cherries, and Avocados to the US and Canada. We export from Mexico, Chile and Argentina.
In the past all my business was done by email. Now I use Skype a lot to keep in touch with my growers – it increases the lucidity and trust between us and it's clearer than any landline. I also travel to South America 3 times a year to check the crops to establish what I need and want to export that year.
When I visit my growers in Chile, Skype is perfect as there are many hot spots there, and landlines can be difficult to find. It's cheap and easy for me to call my distributors back in the USA. It means I can work anywhere with my laptop as I meet with my exporters and go over their selling prices, the quality specifications, and walk the fields and look at the produce. I normally go to Santiago when I'm in Chile, and it's convenient as they've got a great wireless golf club hot spot and I can conduct a lot of my business from there.”
