Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers

NAICS 424480 (Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers) encompasses businesses engaged in the wholesale distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables. These merchants purchase produce from farmers or manufacturers and sell to various entities such as restaurants, institutions, grocery stores, and federal agencies. The category includes businesses that store, transport, and distribute fresh produce while maintaining appropriate temperature and quality control standards.

Federal contract awards under this NAICS code primarily involve produce procurement for federal correctional facilities, particularly those managed by the Department of Justice Bureau of Prisons. Typical contract values range from $10,000 to $25,000, with performance periods spanning several months to a year. Frequently awarded entities include Sudano's Produce, LLC, Colo-Pac Produce, Nickey Gregory Company, and Plainfield Fruits And Produce Co Inc. Many awards are set aside for small businesses, and delivery locations include federal facilities in states like Colorado, Maryland, and Oklahoma. The contracts are predominantly firm fixed-price purchase orders for weekly or monthly produce deliveries.

The most recent federal contract opportunity involves the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, soliciting a quarterly produce procurement for fiscal year 2025. The solicitation seeks various fresh produce items, including potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables and fruits, to be delivered between January and March 2025. The procurement is a 100% small business set-aside with a size standard of not exceeding 500 employees. Vendors are required to submit quotes electronically, with delivery specified as FOB destination to the El Reno facility, demonstrating the ongoing demand for fresh produce in federal institutional settings.