- 1). Source watermelon growers. Brokers need to find watermelon producers who have the capabilities to provide fruit on a regular schedule. Florida and other southern states are home to some of the country's largest watermelon suppliers, thanks to the warm, humid climate. Many South American countries also grow watermelons, and may provide fruit during seasons where domestic production diminishes. Brokers must contract with suppliers to provide watermelons year-round and have the capacity to meet periods of peak demand.
- 2). Enter into contractual relationships with resellers. Brokers must find buyers such as grocery stores, fruit markets, summer camps and other consumers of watermelon to purchase product. Brokers will negotiate a price, and enter into an agreement to supply the fruit on an ongoing basis. With these agreements in place, the broker can safely order watermelons from the growers.
- 3). Coordinate long-haul shipping and logistics. Unless the broker is located near the watermelon farms, the broker needs to find dependable shipping services that can transport the melons from the farm to a central location. The difficulty in shipping the large, round watermelons without crushing or damaging the fruit is substantial. Ensuring the product is packed properly and refrigerated at the proper temperature throughout the journey is paramount.
- 4). Create a logistics hub for local delivery. The watermelons need to be received at a location that is central to the broker's local delivery area. There, the long-haul trucks will off-load the watermelons into a refrigerated warehouse that will act as a short-term home for the fruit. As orders are taken from customers, the watermelons will be repackaged, counted and loaded onto delivery trucks for delivery to local buyers.
- 5). Control the supply chain. On a warm summer weekend in July, watermelon sales are at their peak with large grocery chains selling thousands of the fruit each day. If the weather grows cold, or if it rains, watermelon sales plummet. The broker needs to manage the supply of watermelons in-transit to react to these conditions. Failure to act prudently when weather and other factors affect the sale of watermelons can result in fruit rotting in a warehouse as it waits for retail sales to pick up.
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