FEATURED PERSONALITY – RANDY PERHAM

Flowers, cheese, meats… you name it!!! A man of many traits, Randy Perham, the Grocery Team Manager at Bishop’s Orchards, manages the entire grocery department at the Farm Market! Coming to Bishop’s with a background is in Biochemistry from Cornell University, Randy has now been working in purchasing for 30 years, 10 with other various companies and 20+ at Bishop’s. Since his employment in 1998, he has had the pleasure of watching Bishop’s grow into what it is today!

On a day to day basis, Randy primarily deals with outside vendors, completing weekly orders for departments that include grocery, frozen foods, meat, cheese and floral department. One of Randy’s most important responsibility is studying food trends and bringing new items into the Farm Market. “As the company continues to grow, so does our product selection. With increased competition hitting closer to home now, it is mandatory for us to adapt and keep up with the ever so changing market. New items might only last a year because their product cycle is a lot faster. Items don’t have the same 5-10 year life span like they used to.”

In 2017 Randy introduced approximately 1,000 new products and is averaging roughly 80 items per month for 2018. When making the decision of what to bring in, he looks for the best quality items that are made with clean, all natural ingredients, while also having competitive pricing. There is a huge demand for locally grown items along the shoreline, so Randy tries to purchase from local businesses as often as possible. Another factor for bringing in new items is their uniqueness. “Two weeks ago we were eating goat cheese from Australia with green weaver ants! Where else can you find this rarity other than at Bishop’s?” Despite his busy schedule, Randy loves finding time to be on the retail floor, interacting with customers. “When I’m on the floor I enjoy talking with the customers and explaining to them the different foods and ingredients that Bishop’s has to offer. I enjoy helping customers find the perfect ingredients for that special family dinner.”

Randy’s long standing employment at Bishop’s Orchards comes with fond memories and standouts! One of his favorites… watching the people that he hired grow up and succeed at what they are doing. Whether it be at Bishop’s or somewhere else, it doesn’t matter, he enjoys watching them move up in the world. Two individuals stand out to him, Dana Howd our Administrative Assistant and Jeremy Waldman our Market Team Manager. These two employees he hired when they were 16, and has had the pleasure of watching them grow into their current positions!