In the late 1940's Robert worked as a produce clerk in a San Francisco grocery store. He moved up the ladder quickly becoming a produce manager and buyer for a number of grocery stores in the Bay Area. Frequenting the produce market in San Francisco & South San Francisco, he personally selected the produce for his stores. As the years passed, his expertise expanded and he learned both the retail and wholesale end of the produce industry. Robert realized early on that one of the most important lessons of the business was that developing lasting relationships with reliable growers, shippers & brokers was vital to sourcing the best quality produce & competitive pricing for his customers. As a result, his access to a consistent supply chain and his proficiency in the business gave him leverage to offer exceptional service to his customers & earned him a reputation as a true produce man.