A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NEW YORK FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTOR

Before the sun comes up, before the bustle and sounds of a young family fill her home, Mary Jo Staertow is already tackling the challenges of the day.

The first task? Checking any messages that have come in overnight, just to be sure there are no emergencies that have popped up since she last glanced at her home office computer the night before.

In her world, running out of coconut cream pie can create the same sense of urgency that a cows-are-out phone call might have on a cattleman.

Staertow works in sales for Palmer Foodservice, a broadline foodservice distributor based in Rochester, New York. They stock 8,000 items that range from protein and vegetables to cleaning products and napkins.

Every day breaks the mold, yet it blends together to follow the same “typical” pattern. Early this Tuesday morning, Staertow’s iPhone reveals nothing that just can’t wait.

So after she prepares herself for a day on the go, she seamlessly transitions into her second full-time job: wife and mother. Staertow and her husband get their 6-and 9-year-olds ready for school. As they bound out the door to meet the bus,Staertow is right behind them, now fully engaged in her role, not so much as saleswoman but as a solutions provider.

She first points her car towards the company’s warehouse 35 miles from her home, where she’ll pick up some fryer oil and ice cream for delivery to customers who unexpectedly ran out.

Staertow may cover 250 to 300 miles in a day, stopping for 20 to 40 minutes at a time to visit with loyal customers before making a “prospect” call or two.

“The bucket’s always leaking, so to speak, so you always have to be feeling the top end of that,” she says. “We’re always keeping our eyes and ears open and continuing to pursue new business.”

But it’s not just about ringing in the sales. The daughter of Italian immigrants, Staertow sees how intertwined food and family are. The love of it all is what called her to the kitchen during the first part of her career as a chef manager. That background helps her gauge customers’ needs and it’s why she feels it’s her calling, not just her job, to respond.

The morning starts out with the regular rounds: a mom-and-pop shop known for their burgers and fries, a new nostalgic-style ice cream shop that serves a classic Philly cheese steak, and a high-end steakhouse that recently reopened with a new chef.

“We’re really excited about our opportunities with them,” Staertow says. She leaves confident the information she shared about putting additional beef items on the menu sat well with the chef. They discussed value cuts and adding steak sandwiches or salads as lunch items. That visit took more than an hour, though, which means
that Staertow will not be enjoying one of those sit-down meals she helps create.

This is a regular occurrence, so she taps into her stash: an apple, banana and nuts in the car.

Tired after just a morning in Mary Jo’s shoes? See what the afternoon is like when we
check back in tomorrow.

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