CORONA, CA - Veg-Fresh Farms is entering 2019 with a bang. In its own words, the grower has added power to its salesforce, with the addition of Mickey Owens, who has 35 years with Kroger under his belt; Jeff Kelly, who will be taking on a newly created VP of Sales role; and Cherie Galper to its sales team.
“We are...excited about the addition of Mickey to our Veg-Fresh team—we have had the pleasure of knowing him for many years, and the perspective he will bring to our sales team will be paramount to our success. His retail buying experience will be absolutely valuable in helping us service our accounts and building programs with our retail customers,” said General Partner Dino Cancellieri, Jr.
Owens joined Veg-Fresh in January as Sales Manager. According to a press release, he made the jump to the supplier side after 35 years at Kroger, where he most recently held the position of Produce Buyer.
Prior to accepting the new VP of Sales role, Kelly spent 15 years in produce sales management in Southern California.
“I’m excited by the opportunities I’ve witnessed at Veg-Fresh, from strong organic and conventional retail programs the team has already built, to the grower partnerships Veg-Fresh has cultivated and sustained, to the foodservice sales that continue to build year over year. I am looking forward to taking the Veg-Fresh sales growth into the next decade.” said Kelly.
Cancellieri added, “The VP of Sales role is a new position at Veg-Fresh Farms. It was something we knew we needed as owners, but it was not a position that could be easily filled. Jeff possesses the experience, drive, and team-building skills we were specifically looking for, and we are excited to see him grow into this role.”
Galper was welcomed onto Veg-Fresh’s team to provide additional sales staff support and drive the organic and conventional tomato category forward as Sales Manager. She joined the team in January and will assist with the company’s grower relations in the Salinas/Watsonville area.
“Cherie’s long-standing relationships with retailers and wholesalers is a bonus for us, and we look forward to seeing her contributions to our team and her implementation of our new product offerings,” Cancellieri concluded.
Congratulations to Mickey Owens, Jeff Kelly, and Cherie Galper on their new positions!
