In the high-tech world of the 21st century, A&Z Produce Company, a father-and-sons operation that relies primarily on verbal agreements rather than signed contracts, stands out as an anomaly - a monument, perhaps, to the old-fashioned values the business was built upon.

One of Salt Lake City's oldest wholesale produce suppliers, A&Z opened its doors for business more than 60 years ago. However, the company truly began growing when Cliff Clark became a partner after World War II. The driving force behind the company during the last half-century, Cliff brought an impressive work ethic with him.

One of 13 children in a family raised during the Depression, Cliff got his first job at age 5 harvesting pickling onions. He's been working nonstop ever since. By the age of 12, he was driving a truck for a local farmer, delivering produce to market. Even then, his career path in produce seemed clearly marked.

Extremely resourceful and incredibly creative, Cliff spent the years after high school graduation making a variety of runs to neighboring states for loads of whatever produce he could find. He built a network of contacts along the way and always found willing buyers when he returned.