Our History

Pacific Coast Trading Company was created to optimize relationships with growers and customers across state and country lines.

In 1977, Emil Nemarnik, an Italian immigrant, opened Pacific Coast Fruit Company, a small produce distributor in Portland, OR, with only eight employees including family members. Forty-plus years later, Pacific Coast Fruit is one of the largest independently owned produce distributors in the Pacific Northwest. With the goal to provide the freshest sustainable produce from farm to family beyond the I-5 corridor of California to Canada, the family-owned business created Pacific Coast Trading Company (PCTCo) in 2017.

PCTCo was created to optimize relationships with growers and customers across state and country lines, while still maintaining a commitment to its history of integrity, reliability, and trust. The new business structure allows for further investment in specialized employees and strategically placed warehouses to ultimately have an increased buying power to help distribute a vast variety of produce from both large and small growers. Utilizing strong partner relationships, we can seamlessly connect growers, sellers, and customers with an unmatched level of service.

Today, the PCTCo team spans across North America and services the world day and night. We empower our team to support each other, help others, and strategically solve problems. We work with a variety of customers such as wholesalers, retailers, processors and home delivery services. Our commitment to sustainable practices inspired the creation of Grown Up Organics, our private label for the highest standard organic produce. Pacific Coast Trading Company strives to support the success of our partners. We will maintain this mindset as we continue to grow and provide the freshest sustainable produce from farm to family.