NEWARK, DE - The Oppy team is growing! Eric Jones, Oppy’s new Senior Sales Representative, is joining the company with an extensive background in both the grower and retail spheres.
“When I moved from retail to the supply-side, I gained very helpful and detailed knowledge about growing produce, while also adapting my skills to serve different kinds of retailers,” Jones said, according to a press release. “I look forward to applying this experience at Oppy and contributing in every way that I can.”
Jones, who joined Oppy on December 21, was recently employed as Domestic Sales Manager for Sun Pacific, where he’d started as a sales executive in April 2013. Previously, Jones spent nearly a decade and a half at Giant Eagle, Inc. of Pittsburgh, PA., serving first in store operations and ultimately as a category manager.
In previous roles, Jones developed season-long programs for citrus, grapes, and kiwifruit, experience readily transferrable to three of Oppy’s signature categories. While at Giant Eagle, Jones oversaw retail strategies for various product lines, ranging from apples and pears to cherries and stonefruit, gaining expertise relevant to numerous Oppy items.
Jones, a Pittsburgh native was drawn to the opportunity to move his young family closer to home. Oppy was recently recognized as as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures in 2016 in the enterprise category.
“As our volume and product assortment grows, we have the great opportunity of meeting the challenge with the best service possible,” said Bill Poulos, Oppy’s Newark-based Sales Manager, according to the release. “With strong product knowledge and leadership experience on both the supply and retail side, Eric brings the ideal skillset to our team.”
Oppy continues to grow strategically, achieving record sales in 2016, up 10 percent in volume over 2015.
