A Fixed Point: A Q&A With Anthony Innocenti, Managing Partner, LIV Produce

Is change our only constant?

Ours is an industry always in motion. As soon as our feet find steady ground the bedrock begins to shake and shift once more—either by our hands or Mother Nature’s. That in-between is both fascinating and terrifying. It’s the knife’s point, carefully and precariously balanced. The held breath before a potential hit. Amid change is where I find the deepest value in a veteran’s gaze—those who have experienced so much transition their vision ascends to a level many have yet to attain.

Anthony Innocenti, LIV Produce leader and industry savant, is among those with such sight. Utilizing it, he has helped cultivate a stalwart of a company; one many retailers now lean on in navigating the next transition—whatever that may be. The future is unknown, surely. But Anthony has more than a few educated ideas and was kind enough to impart them here.

Melissa De Leon Chavez: Ours is an industry built on necessity and resilience, but how we meet those demands is changing. What would you say is missing as we face this continued shift?

Anthony Innocenti, Managing Partner, LIV Produce: What the industry is missing now and looking forward is day-to-day personal interaction. There was a time when we as suppliers were in constant, even daily, communication with our buying counterparts. It seems this age is over. But, I still believe it’s so important for the industry as a whole to not buy into a conveyor-belt method or frame of mind across the supply chain. This works for CPG, not fresh produce.

With the ever-changing climate patterns we in the produce industry all face, there’s an ebb and flow that needs to be discussed more so than ever. You have to make sure that fulfillment is filled, that you address where there’s going to be gaps or surpluses, and also that consistent communication is how everyone stays strong. Sure, everything looks good on paper until you have three months of rain inconsistently, which can affect, for example, the shelf-life of citrus. It needs to be discussed all the way down to store level; the QA (quality assurance) teams all need to be in the loop so they can understand what’s coming. Instead, many have become numb to the variables of the industry, making it even more challenging than it already is to operate sustainably.

MDC: Can you help me better understand the cost of being further removed from these conversations between buyers and suppliers, which some are already seeing taking place?

AI: The cost is perfectly good product does not make it off a truck, which doesn’t help anyone. It certainly doesn’t help the costs and demands for the grower, and it doesn’t help stock shelves and maintain commitments to mitigating food waste where possible.

For example, we may transition to a new region on onions. You’re going to see some more discoloration and feathering, but the onions are beautiful and cut well. However, they get rejected with no discussion. Try as we might to educate, there has to be communication and understanding to keep product moving. That is not to say this is any one side’s burden to bear. We all have to be very respectful of growing costs moving forward. Without growers, there’s no produce, yet the expectation of cost is driving them to impossible decisions.

"...it’s so important for the industry as a whole to not buy into a conveyor-belt method or frame of mind across the supply chain... With the ever-changing climate patterns we in the produce industry all face, there’s an ebb and flow that needs to be discussed more so than ever."

Anthony Innocenti, Managing Partner, LIV Produce

MDC: One thing LIV Produce is well known for is its customer service and solutions. How does the team combat misconceptions like your onion example and still set a standard in service?

AI: Thankfully, though we are not the largest team, we’re very experienced and nimble. We have a great group, and the leaders of LIV are looking down the road to see where any potential red flags may come. That’s why experience is key, especially when helping manage customers’ inventories and replenishment.

We work diligently to do a great job and take a lot of pride in what we do. We don’t live and die by emails—a huge part of our culture and structure that will never change. Not only will we identify and communicate an issue, we’ll offer a solution. That doesn’t always mean product. If we were in the business just to fill when supply is short, that’s too difficult to deal with every day. We are able to handle both sides of the spectrum and have found a niche in delivering the needed messages. We also maintain as much control as possible not only by owning our own packing house, but by leading with a “made of growers” mentality. We all have a key role to play in this industry, and LIV is proud of ours.

MDC: Speaking of the LIV-shaped niche, I have heard you describe yourselves as “made up of the growers.” What does this mean specifically to LIV Produce?

AI: In the citrus industry, for example, we’ve often been told we pay our growers the fastest in the industry to make sure they’re sustainable in their livelihood. It’s a big deal. We don’t string growers along—we do what we say and we say what we mean. We’re very transparent and that transparency is returned. If there are any issues along the way, we get a call from the grower as soon as they know. It is something we take a lot of pride in and, because of this commitment, we mitigate as many surprises as possible in a business full of surprises.

"We’re very transparent and that transparency is returned. If there are any issues along the way, we get a call from the grower as soon as they know. It is something we take a lot of pride in and, because of this commitment, we mitigate as many surprises as possible…"

MDC: Lastly, Anthony, I would love to tap into some of that premonitive power your experience has helped guide LIV Produce with. What is a crucial pain point you think the industry has an opportunity to resolve?

AI: The industry’s in limbo. Being conscious of the environment is always a top priority, but so is the reality that to be competitive is to be cost-sensitive. We are as aware of this as anyone, and accomplish what feels like the impossible to ensure we are using the best materials while working to deliver that balance.

That balance is an important conversation for the industry to keep having. Most importantly, we stay the course—our track record speaks strongly to that. No one’s perfect, sure, but we own up to any issues and we do everything possible to ensure we are one of the best resources for our commodities buyers can find.

It is easy to feel the only certainty is uncertainty, but balance is all about finding a fixed point of focus. Even as the ground continues to reform, relationships across the supply chain remain steadfast. Regardless of what lies ahead, our reliance on each point the product encounters is the steady mark in the world of fresh produce. This is the foundation we can and should trust as we navigate each transition.

Change is a constant, but so are we.