Ron Casertano

"I think it's mostly the excitement or the risk of it if you will."

Ron Casertano is not talking about white water rafting, or rappelling off a mountain, or riding The Skycoaster at Kennywood. Ron finds his rush of excitement and risk in the daily challenge of buying produce for Consumers Produce. "You know you're going to load these trucks today and if you don't sell that stuff….well it's a great motivator."

But there is no 'oppressive weight of responsibility' as Ron talks about his role as a Freshness Professional. Instead his eyes dance as he explains, "It's a fascinating business. You talk to people across the country, you trade in commodities that change in price and react faster than anything that happens on Wall Street."

Twelve years on the job, Ron is described by a coworker as being "street wise, sharp as a razor, with a good work ethic." Ron says he looks forward to everyday. "You never stop learning; there are always new products to learn about." And he takes great pleasure in being able to see what he does, directly benefit families shopping in his neighborhood grocery store. "The specials they have to offer their customers from week to week depend on what we can supply them. You really have a direct effect on what families can get for their dollar."

If he would allow it, Ron's job could occupy his time around the clock. But he is a devoted family man who has been known to order a truckload or two by cell phone from the bleachers of his son's baseball game. Ron says that's part of what he likes about working with Consumers Produce. "It's almost a company policy here that your family is important and that you have to make time for them." Making time for them is something Ron enjoys.

A lifelong Pittsburgher, Ron met his wife Frances in first grade but it wasn't exactly love at first sight. In fact they were just friends until the college years. Ron recalls with a glimmer in his eye, "I guess it was New Year's Eve and we were having a party at her mom's house. She kissed me and I fell in love." Since then Ronald came along eleven years ago, followed by Elizabeth who is now five, and Frank who is a rambunctious three year old.

Young Ronald plays hockey and Ron says it's become a family affair. "We all go to the games. We travel to the different locations where his team plays. We've been all over Pennsylvania as well as Ohio, New York, and Canada. The whole family goes along." When they're not following flying pucks, Ron says they enjoy the outdoors and camping.

"The trouble with my golf game is I like to fish too much." As much as he loves his work and family sometimes Ron just likes to escape. "Fishing and hunting I'd do all day everyday if I could get away with it." He especially enjoys the solitude of winter fishing, when very few others are tough enough to venture out. "It enables me to just think about nothing. It's almost like a form of meditation. You just get out there and you get wrapped up in what you're doing and you really don't have time to think about, 'Is this truck going to be late?' or 'Did the truck show up with good cantaloupes or bad cantaloupes?"

If it is true heaven will be a place where we do our favorite thing for eternity, you'll find Ron Casertano on the banks of Lake Heaven with a fishing pole in hand.

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