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Cary Hoffman is a go-for-it, get-'er-done kind of guy. He can't help it; it's in his blood. Something else that is in his blood is fresh produce. Hoffmans have been in the produce business since Hoffman's grandfather left his native Russia for the U.S. in 1910. Legend has it that upon arriving in the port city of Galveston, Texas, Hymie Hoffman saw some loose, overripe bananas on the docks about to be thrown out. The intrepid young immigrant asked the captain of the ship the bananas had come in on if he could have them. He left the docks with his supply and started pushing a cart up and down the streets of Galveston, selling bananas. Ever since, the Hoffman name has been synonymous with fresh produce. "Today, we sell everything from A to Z, from asparagus to zucchini squash," says Cary Hoffman, who owns and operates MountainKing Potatoes. "Our customers include grocery stores, restaurants, country clubs, hotels, hospitals, all types of foodservice. If it's a fresh fruit or vegetable that people consume, we probably sell it. But probably our biggest thing is the potatoes." As a young man growing up in Waco, Texas, the last thing Hoffman wanted to do—at least from a career perspective— was follow in the footsteps of his father, uncles and grandfather. The business had grown to become a major produce distributor in the region. The Hoffman men routinely worked—often on the road—from before dawn to long after dark. "My brothers and sisters and I would be put to bed before he got home a lot of the time," recalls Hoffman. "We kids worked hard with them in the summers. But I By Tyrell Marchant Photos courtesy MountainKing Potatoes MountainKing's long climb to the top 24 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2019