Sanwa Growers Inc. was founded in 1981 by Tony Leung, a native of Hong Kong and a graduate of Guelph University in Ontario. After starting to farm and market produce in Canada, Tony came to Florida in 1980 to find winter growing areas for his specialty Asian produce. He stopped to visit a former professor in Ruskin . . . and stayed for 20 years!
Tony began farming on 160 acres of leased land in south Hillsborough County in 1981. After traveling back and forth for a few years, he settled here. His wife Connie, also a Hong Kong native and Guelph graduate, joined him as CFO to the newly-formed Sanwa Growers Inc.
Because we are a wholesaler and a market, we understand the challenges faced by our customers that are also in the wholesale and market business, so we can offer insights, advice, and opportunities that many of our competitors cannot.
We have a network of connections and relationships across the globe that allows us to purchase the exact product that our customers are looking for at a very competitive price. Our locations serve as distribution centers, so product comes in and goes out to the customer – making sure that it is as fresh as possible.
By incorporating a business model with a diverse range of customer types (wholesale, market, restaurant, retail), we are able to keep our margins low and rely on volume for financial sustainability. We focus on fresh products, which are more difficult to manage – but needed more frequently by the customer. We provide an extremely diverse ethnic product line that appeals to customers longing for product from their native countries.
Sanwa has greater connections with our customers because we see them several times per week. We build much of our success around our customer’s business, making us more invested in their well-being.
What began as a company focused on a niche market of growing and distributing Asian vegetables, has transformed into a multi-state, wholesale distribution operation that procures thousands of fresh, sustainable products throughout the year.
Sanwa has been a strong partner with the state of Florida on numerous projects. Like, working jointly with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to renovate and revitalize the Sanford State Farmers Market. Additionally, Sanwa served as the pilot farm for the state’s “Whole Farm Plan” project.
The Leungs continue to show their gratitude to the community by giving generous amounts of time and money to local groups in need. Some groups which have benefited from Sanwa’s assistance include:
The Leungs and their management team have also served, or are now serving as board members, officers, committee members, etc. to the following:
Sanwa always attributes a tremendous amount of their success to all the helping hands they received along the way.
Over the years Sanwa has been honored by many groups, including awards from:
