SCHILLER PARK, IL - Sun Belle Inc. has added Bob Hylka and Jan McDaniels, two senior produce specialists, to its sales and marketing team.
Bob Hylka, a former Produce Buyer at Jewel Food Stores, has joined Sun Belle’s sales office in Schiller Park, IL, where he will be responsible for handling national and Midwest retailers. Prior to joining Sun Belle, Hylka worked in a number of retail positions, including produce department manager and produce operations specialist, as well as store management and sales and merchandising management, according to a press release. He became a Produce Buyer at Jewel in 2011, and in 2013, joined Aldi as a Corporate Produce Manager.
“We welcome Bob’s breadth of retail produce experience, both at the corporate and store level,” said Janice Honigberg, Sun Belle’s Founder and President. “Bob brings to Sun Belle a deep understanding of the retail buyer’s viewpoint and needs which will help customers drive their produce sales.”
Jan McDaniels will oversee the company’s distribution facility near Los Angeles International Airport and handle West Coast and national sales.
For over 20 years, McDaniels has been involved in fresh produce sales and logistics, having worked with Gourmet Trading in Auckland, New Zealand and moving stateside in 1997. While at Gourmet Trading, McDaniels handled retail, club, and foodservice sales in the U.S. and Canada, with a focus on logistics and quality details to ensure successful sales of asparagus, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries, according to a press release. In 2011, she founded Fresh Girl Trading, which specialized in asparagus and blueberries.
“We are very pleased Jan has joined us, and know that her entrepreneurial experience and hands-on skills provide Sun Belle a very solid presence in West Coast markets, furthers Sun Belle’s product offerings, and strengthens Sun Belle’s commitment to quality, value, and service,” continued Honigberg.
Sun Belle currently operates four distribution centers in the United States – in Jessup, Maryland; Schiller Park, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and Los Angeles, California – and is a shipper of South American and North American blueberries, raspberries, red currants, and cranberries with customers in Europe, Asia, and North America.
