BAKERSFIELD, CA - Carrot and functional beverages company Bolthouse Farms is giving priority to its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitment. To do so, the grower announced the establishment of an ESG Hub. The ESG Hub represents a sharpened focus on key issues and will facilitate heightened integration of ESG factors across all parts of the business, positioning the company for rapid growth. Leading this effort is Shelby Layne, the newly appointed Director of the ESG Hub.
“Bolthouse Farms is committed to transforming our business so that we give more than we take, and I could not be more pleased to lead the charge,” added Layne. “Our newly energized ESG focus isn’t just about advancing select causes, it’s about being very deliberate about doing good for the land, our people, and our communities. It’s about ensuring that who we want to become as a company aligns with our actions.”
Layne brings a diverse background in marketing, finance, and social impact organizations. Noted in the release, Layne is particularly passionate about environmental and sustainability platforms. She has been with Bolthouse Farms for nearly three years in marketing and innovation roles. In this new role, Layne is leading the ESG Hub team as well as an emerging, company-wide, cross-functional ESG Task Force incorporating critical input from all business units.
The company plans to include close coordination and alignment with the ESG goals of its customers and retail partners. To direct and drive this focus, Joey Antonelli also recently joined the ESG Hub team as Manager, ESG Customer Management.
Antonelli brings more than five years of Bolthouse Farms experience in sales and customer interface to the role, along with a passion for protecting and creating a better world for generations to come. He started out as a field sales representative in the Midwest before moving to Bentonville, Arkansas, about a year later to support the Walmart account.
Most recently, he served as the Sales Executive for the Walmart and Sam’s Club businesses. The company noted a large part of this role was partnering with Walmart to monitor sustainability and support goals to reduce emissions to further Walmart’s forward-looking environmental targets. To further his goals to protect the earth, Antonelli was also recently selected to sit on the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Sustainability Council as one of about 60 individuals who will help drive the industry to incorporate more sustainable practices into their businesses.
With these stewards in place, Bolthouse is geared to bring more sustainability practices to the forefront, meeting longer-term goals, success, and challenges head-on.
“As we look to the future and redefine the role Bolthouse Farms plays in our communities, ESG-related factors are critical considerations,” said Zak Karlen, General Manager, Bolthouse Farms. “By taking a more intentional approach to ESG, we will be better positioned to foster a sustainable relationship with our people and natural resources, while helping Bolthouse Farms grow into the most transparent and conscientious company we can be.”
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