On the grounds of the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park, Georgia, J.J. Jardina Company, Inc. has built its name around one demanding standard: moving high-quality fruit and vegetables safely, consistently, and on time. Founded in 1925, the family-owned wholesale produce distributor has grown alongside Atlanta’s produce trade while remaining focused on the buyers, shippers, vendors, and communities that depend on fresh product every day.
That history now spans four generations. It is visible not only in the Jardina name, but in the company’s practical knowledge of seasonality, quality, cold-chain handling, and the relationships required to keep produce moving throughout the Southeast. More than a century after its founding, J.J. Jardina continues to pair the reach of a regional distributor with the attentiveness of a family business.
A Company Grown Alongside Atlanta
James Joseph Jardina, Sr. founded the company in 1925. From Gainesville, the business made its way through south Atlanta before establishing its home at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park. Over the decades, Jimmy Jardina, Jr., and later Mike, Larry, and Matt Jardina helped carry the company forward and build its reputation in the market and the surrounding produce community.
Today, Larry Jardina serves as chief executive officer and Matt Jardina as vice president, with the fourth generation active in the business. Each generation has inherited the same basic responsibility. They buy carefully, protect the product, serve customers well, and stay ready when the market changes.
Four Generations, One Standard
Produce is seasonal, perishable, and unforgiving. A dependable distributor must know where quality product is available, how it should be handled, and how quickly it needs to reach the customer. J.J. Jardina’s long-standing relationships with shippers, vendors, major produce organizations, and U.S.-based importers help the company source across changing seasons without losing sight of quality or service.
For customers, that experience translates into consistency. Whether a buyer needs a familiar apple variety in winter, the first stone fruit of the season, or a mix of conventional and organic produce, the company works to find the right product and move it efficiently. The result is a service model built around repeat business rather than one-time transactions.
Photo Courtesy: JJ Jardina
A Broad, Seasonal Product Line
J.J. Jardina carries a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year. Its apple program includes mainstays such as Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp, along with seasonal varieties. The broader product line includes pears, berries, citrus, grapes, melons, stone fruits, tropical fruits, and vegetables.
Georgia-grown products take an important place when local harvests are in season, including regional specialties such as muscadines and scuppernongs. At the same time, relationships with suppliers and U.S.-based importers give customers access to produce from other growing regions when local seasons end.
A Facility Built Around the Cold Chain
The company operates from Building S at the Atlanta State Farmers Market, about ten miles south of downtown Atlanta and within one of the largest produce-market complexes in the country. Its facility includes a 30,000-square-foot warehouse and 10,000 square feet of office space.
The warehouse is fully refrigerated, including its receiving and shipping areas. That continuous temperature control helps protect quality as product arrives, is handled on the floor, and leaves for the customer. The location also places J.J. Jardina at a natural crossroads for produce moving into Atlanta and back out across the region.
Food Safety, Service, and Regional Reach
Food safety is central to the operation. J.J. Jardina maintains organic certification, a Primus-certified facility, and licensing through the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Documented practices and modern handling systems support the company’s goal of keeping product safe and quality consistent from receipt through delivery.
The company serves retail operators, food-service distributors, and other wholesalers. Same-day and overnight delivery is available across a service area that includes Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Customers return because service is personal as well as practical. Across the company’s published testimonials, the same themes appear repeatedly: responsiveness, dependability, high-quality product, and a willingness to treat a customer’s business with care. Those values matter in an industry where small delays and quality problems can quickly become large ones.
Committed to the Produce Community
J.J. Jardina’s roots in Atlanta are matched by an ongoing commitment to Georgia agriculture and the produce community. The company participates in Georgia Grown, supports Georgia growers in season, and holds a seat on the board of the Produce Dealers Association.
After four generations, the company’s purpose remains straightforward. It connects buyers with quality produce, protects the cold chain, and delivers the kind of service that earns the next order. That combination of family experience, regional reach, and day-to-day discipline has carried J.J. Jardina for more than a century, positioning the company to keep serving the Southeast for generations to come.
