Transcript

Tim Ezell:

Food, we all need it. But sometimes we take for granted how we get it. We're celebrating a place that's been a part of that food chain for 50 years we’re at Ole Tyme Produce and we're taking you inside. That's coming up. Fox 2 News in the Morning.

00:00:21:19 - 00:00:41:15

Margie Ellisor:

Well, everybody should have access to fresh, healthy food

Ty Hawkins:

and Tim is at a place that is a big part of making that happen. He is in St. Charles paying a visit to Ole Tyme Produce. Good morning, Tim.

Tim Ezell:

Hey, good morning Ty. Good morning, Margie. Yes, we are hanging out at one of those food suppliers so important in the food chain it is Ole Tyme Produce.

00:00:41:22 - 00:01:07:07

Tim Ezell:

Joan DiLeo is the president and CEO. And yeah, 50 years you've been doing this.

Joan DiLeo:

It's incredible.

Tim Ezell:

Is incredible. And we're getting a site and a behind the scenes look at some of the things that you have here. Lots of produce here, how does this all come to you?

Joan DiLeo:

This all comes on trucking companies, a local company. We buy it all FOB be wherever it's grown. So Idaho, Washington, California, Florida, Texas.

Tim Ezell:

I love how you stated. You said you steward these products. You are stewards of these these important products before they get shipped on to the restaurants or the grocery stores or wherever they're headed.

Joan DiLeo:

Yeah. Yeah. I think the most important promise we make to customers is that we're going to execute food safety at the highest level.

Tim Ezell:

Right!

00:01:38:07 - 00:02:03:02

Joan DiLeo:

Literally steward the product safely from where it's grown to their backdoor.

Tim Ezell:

And you mentioned, you know, we're getting a tour right now in the morning. You mentioned that it's important to you to be ready for visitors whenever they come.

Joan DiLeo:

That's correct. We tell people what a fresh food supplier should be tour ready every minute of every day, because then, you know, you're executing on your promises.

00:02:03:04 - 00:02:34:24

Tim Ezell:

And technology has been a big part of that, helping you do that, even even better. We were talking earlier, it's one thing we've learned through the pandemic with all these supply chain issues you mentioned, it's it's the need for doing more here at home, right?

Joan DiLeo:

Yeah, I think the pandemic taught us in the past we had more of an idea of the most competitive place to either grow or manufacture something.

00:02:34:26 - 00:03:00:17

Joan DiLeo:

Today, what we know is that food security and a lot of manufacturing security equals national security. And while our food supply chain is resilient, you're going to see local become much, much, much more important because it's just part of food security.

Tim Ezell:

I love it. I love it. We are hanging out right here at Ole Tyme Produce, 50 years in the business of getting that food to you. We'll have more coming up in the 9:00 hour right here on FOX 2 News in the Morning.