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.

For decades the company has earned the highest ratings for integrity and credit, and its suppliers see no need for signed contracts. Rather, a phone call alerts A&Z that a load - anything from bananas or strawberries to corn on the cob or zucchini - is ready, and A&Z sends out a truck.

The company conducts business with its customers the same way. A phone call made to evaluate what produce is needed, a promise made to deliver the items and then the promise kept. That's A&Z Produce's simple, unchanging business strategy. After all, as Cliff reminds his employees, it's a lot easier to keep your current customers than it is to find new ones.