Recent alumni of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business Christos Marafatsos and Kosta Dionisopoulous launchedDelta Produce in 2009 with a strategic detailed approach to penetrate and innovate in the perishable food industry – a sector valued at over $2 billion in the Washington, D.C., metro area alone. Delta Produce was selected byBusinessWeek as one of 25 promising companies started by young entrepreneurs under 25. They need our help to win this contest. Voting ends Oct. 20.
Delta Produce distributes fresh fruits and vegetables to restaurants, country clubs, franchises, hotels, and food service establishments throughout the D.C. metro area. The company employs 18 people, including a full-time engineer who helps customers build websites and market on social networks.
With revenue in 2010 of over $1.9 million and projected revenue in 2011 of $2.6 million, Delta Produce continues to not only threaten all competition, but prospers as a dominant figure in an industry where its products – perishable commodities – are always needed, no matter the economic climate.
Delta Produce was a finalist in the annual Cupid’s Cup: The University of Maryland Business Competition last year, hosted by the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Cupid’s Cup is sponsored by alumnus Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Baltimore-based sports apparel maker Under Armour.
What was the inspiration to start Delta Produce?
“Do you eat? Exactly, of course you do, everyone does,” says Marafatsos. “Eating is not a luxury but is a necessity to our existence and my products will always be needed and used no matter the economic climate.”
“In any economy, people will always eat,” adds Dionisopoulous.
Read more about the contest at the BusinessWeek website.
Alissa Arford, Office of Marketing Communications
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.