“Never stop learning,” is a phrase one often hears repeated by successful businessmen. The reason? No one is equipped with the knowledge to solve every problem or conquer every obstacle.

OSI Group’s Vice President of Research and Development and Quality Assurance, B.K. Girdhar, Ph.D., found himself in just such a predicament when — about six years ago — a client asked OSI to grow and supply vegetables in China.

At the time, the Aurora, Ill.-based foodservice and contract-manufacturer had little to no experience in produce. Rather, its core competencies were in poultry, beef, pork, fish, pizza and dough-based products.

That said, Girdhar wasted no time in looking for help.

“I researched what was the best institute in this country for produce research and I found out it was University of California–Davis,” he says. “So, I contacted professors there and talked to them over the phone.”

After one UC-Davis professor agreed to share her time and expertise, Girdhar and another OSI executive flew to California.

“We spent a couple days with her and we asked about 500 questions and she explained everything to us,” Girdhar says. He points to a file drawer in his Aurora office. “All the literature is still here. I learned very quickly about the produce business.”

Still not completely satisfied, Girdhar also turned to a produce-industry colleague who told him to go to his network’s best producing lettuce plant.

“So, I went there and we spent a few days looking around the plant and we learned so much,” Girdhar notes. “Then, I made my first visit to China. And, that’s when I could sit in front of [the client] and explain to them … why the shelf-life should be this way and why things should be done another way.”

Since then, the client and OSI have been happy with the results. Today, OSI grows lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers in China for export to other countries such as Japan and Australia.

Girdhar concludes with a smile, “We don’t know everything but we’re smart enough to know where to go to find out.”