Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Baron.
Hi Matthew, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Matthew Baron. My business is Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit (https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/). My business started close to 10 years ago. Selling nuts and dried fruit from the Port of Newark, NJ area. Newark is the largest food port in the world. Selling first on the website. Then branching out into Amazon, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, and Temu. After a few years, it was too slow to ship to West Coast states. So, I searched all over the West Coast to find a partner for those orders. I could not find a suitable business partner in California or Oregon. But, Utah blessed me with some tremendous business partners.
When COVID hit, the business took off. Still, there were issues. I was driven away from the East Coast to better serve customers. I headed right to Utah. Happily moving the business to Utah. At the same time, we added seeds to the list of products for sale online. That brought us to 50 products in total. 19 varieties of nuts. 23 varieties of dried fruit, and 7 varieties of seeds. It has been a pleasure to run my business from Utah. Recently, we opened another office in Washington, DC, to maintain closer ties to changes in American food policy that affect our products.
Each month, the sales could be indescribable. We could sell a single pallet of food or up to three pallets in a single month. Shout-out to NuPackaging in Utah, which prints our boxes for us. 25 pounds of almonds fit into a much smaller box than 25 pounds of dried coconut. Therefore, we need a few box sizes. We optimize the business for freshness. Freshness and price are the main focus of the business. We only sell our product online.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
COVID was the biggest bump in the road. The business took off because of the customers we got from Google. Also, Amazon and Walmart.com brought us a lot of new customers. The issues that came up involve customer support, safety, and profitability. Most of the products are grown in California. Utah has become a major location for that food to move through and be processed. We have to maintain relationships with farmers of nuts, dried fruit, and seeds worldwide.
Recently, we opened another office in Washington, DC. The issue with Google and its move into AI is that policy changes are affecting how search results. It is more challenging for high-quality businesses to get new customers online. American food policy has been changing dramatically since Robert Kennedy Jr. became head of the Department of Health and Human Services. That means more work to ensure our food product descriptions align with any new policies.
Focus on healthy customers, and you can’t go wrong.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit?
We sell 50 products online. 19 varieties of nuts. Including walnuts, almonds, and cashews. 23 varieties of dried fruit. Including apricots, mango, and pineapple. 7 varieties of seeds. They include quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and chia. Our products are used in recipes and pantries all over America. We sell in 10 and 25 pound boxes. We are most proud of the charities that we get to donate food to each year. (https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/charities/)
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Work for free in your chosen field. Learn early if you are in an industry you like and enjoy building a career in. Meet people who have been working in the field. Ask them questions. Do they enjoy what they do and make a living? Asking questions has always worked well for me in determining whether advertising and marketing are the right paths for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wholesalenutsanddriedfruit
