Milan, Ill. — Group O founder Bob Ontiveros and his granddaughter Maria founded Mercado on Fifth in the Floreciente neighborhood of Moline, IL in the summer of 2016. The weekly open-air market is dedicated to increasing community engagement, offering economic opportunities to small businesses, and showcasing various cultures in the Quad Cities. Mercado on Fifth has grown each year resulting in its expansion to the Iowa Quad Cities with Mercado en el Rio this year.

Mercado on Fifth introduced its newest feature to the market - Letras Gigantes.  The giant colorful letters are often found throughout almost every tourist destination in Mexico and are a beautiful representation of a deep-rooted Hispanic and Latinx culture right here in the Floreciente neighborhood.

“This project did not come to fruition easily after the Mexican manufacturer informed us they were unable to export the giant steel letters to the United States,” said Mercado on Fifth Director, Anamaria Rocha. “That’s when Group O stepped in to help.” 

Group O coordinated with its Mexico-based Group O Analitica division to take possession from the manufacturer and leveraged Group O brokers and transportation resources to ensure the safe delivery of the letters to the Group O warehouse in Rock Island, IL and ultimately to Mercado on Fifth.

“It was such a great feeling to be able to work with my Mexico-based colleague, Lalo Garcia to make this happen for the Mercado,” said Guy Morse, Logistics Analyst for Group O’s Supply Chain division. “As supply chain and logistics experts, Group O coordinates shipments every day for our clients, it’s very rewarding to leverage that expertise for our community as well.”