Jim Donio joins his family's company

James Matthew Donio earned a bachelor of arts degree from Villanova University with a major in business management, and after celebrating that accomplishment on graduation day in 1998, he said, "Literally the next day I was here at work."

Enjoying just a one-day vacation between college and the business world is apparently quite in keeping for this youngest officer of the family-owned Frank Donio Inc., growers, shippers and distributors of a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables based in Hammonton, NJ.

Mr. Donio recalled that since he was 12 or 13 years old, he knew he would join the family's produce business.

Born and raised in Hammonton, the self-proclaimed blueberry capital of the world, he graduated from Hammonton Public High School in 1994. He worked at the family business during the two summers prior to graduating college, primarily in the area of sales to roadside stands, mom-and-pop stores, some restaurants and the like. He also traveled to the Philadelphia Regional Produce Terminal as part of his responsibilities, usually late at night or early in the morning, as is the custom among wholesale companies. "I enjoyed that and got a better feel for the company," he said. And while the college experience often opens new doors for some young people, he utilized his college years to prepare himself as best he could for a future at the firm founded by his grandfather, Frank Donio, back in 1933.

Mr. Donio joined the company at a pivotal moment in its history. The family members in 1998 were in the process of transferring ownership of the company, and those in the younger generation were given the opportunity to buy the company from those in the previous generation. Mr. Donio, then 21 years old, thus became the youngest of the new owners.

He started in the accounting department, working with his aunt Annabel Donio Arena and his cousin Judy Pape. One of his very early "special projects," as he called them, was to prepare a video profile of the company for existing and potential customers of Frank Donio Inc. Now 27 and the treasurer of the company, Mr. Donio works from the headquarters office in Hammonton, traveling once or twice per year to the firm's Arizona office in addition to attending a number of conferences throughout the year, especially the Produce Marketing Association convention and trade show.

He is single, but has been dating "the same young lady for six years," Kelly, whom he met at Villanova. Asked if his marital status might be changing anytime soon, he replied (under some coaxing from this writer): "More than likely, yes." He added, "The produce business takes a lot of time. It's non-stop. Kelly's very understanding of the amount of time and dedication needed in this business."

When he is not behind the desk in Hammonton, he does volunteer work in his hometown, especially at the Hammonton Revitalization Corp., a non-profit group that works to upgrade the downtown part of the community. He has been involved with this group for 10 years, including five as president.

As far as relieving the daily stress of the produce industry, he said simply, "A relaxing dinner goes a long way for me."

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