WHOLESALERS REBUILDING BASE

CHICAGO -- Wholesalers at the South Water Market here are working to rebuild their customer base, following the settlement Jan. 14 of a 10-week strike by local Teamsters.

creases and higher employer pension contributions, he said.

Clay Mayer, produce buyer and associate for a Chicago unit of Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market, said he has noticed business at the market has gotten more competitive both during and after the strike, as wholesalers vied for a smaller market share when customers took their business elsewhere.

"Now, we have to rebuild our customer base. Hopefully, we [the South Water Market] will continue as a viable marketplace," said Rosemary Auster of Auster Co., who is president of the Market Services Association.