Procacci Brothers Host Cameroonian University Students for Tour of the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market
PHILADELPHIA, PA - The Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation turned the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market into a classroom last Friday, giving 24 university students from Cameroon a tour of its facilities and an insider's perspective of its produce operation. These students got the opportunity to tour the fully-refrigerated wholesale produce terminal, seeing its state-of-the-art food storage facilities and supply chain operation first hand.
“Every day here at Procacci Brothers we look for ways to more efficiently deliver great tasting food products to our customers,” said Executive Vice President George Binck. “It was a wonderful opportunity to share some of those learnings with our guests from Cameroon. There’s really no better place than the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market to observe the forefront of innovation and quality control in the US Produce Industry. Every farming operation, let alone every country, faces different challenges, but we know that they’re going to take some of the information that we shared with them and do great things for their country.”
The tour was a part of an educational exchange program between Saint Joseph's University and Cameroon’s National School of Administration and Magistracy, ENAM. Because agriculture employs over 70% of Cameroon’s working population and accounts for 42% of the country's GDP, the Cameroonian government considers the education of their next generation of agricultural leaders a top priority.
“Upon successful completion of the study tour and course, the Cameroonian students will have earned four credits toward an Advanced Graduate Certificate,” describes Dr. Stephen Porth, Associate Dean of the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph's University. “They will have the option to further their education at Saint Joseph's University by earning a Master’s of Business Administration.”
According to a press release, the 24 graduate students have a diverse educational background in fields such as as agriculture, law, accounting, economics, hospital administration and civil administration. As part of their educational program with Saint Joseph's they will be touring a variety of regionally located businesses over their 12-day stay in Philadelphia.
