SAN FRANCISCO, CA - It’s a big day for GrubMarket leadership, as the provider has expanded its team at Sierra Produce. Recently, the company announced that Jim Hohman has been named its new General Manager and interim West Coast Sales Manager. Additionally, Mike Schiappa has been brought on as Sierra Produce’s new East Coast Sales Manager. This comes as Sierra Produce Founder Roland Berndt steps down from his role as General Manager after almost three decades.
"I want to thank Roland for everything he has done for Sierra. It has been a privilege to help lead the Sierra Produce team alongside him for the last 18 years. We have built an incredible business with dedicated customers, top-notch growers, and outstanding employees that have worked together for years. This transition is just business as usual. We look forward to the future, continually growing the company and meeting the increasing needs of the produce industry," said Hohman.
Hohman has over 30 years of produce industry experience under his belt. He has been with Sierra Produce since 2005, when he opened the East Coast sales office and became East Coast Sales Manager, according to a release. As the new General Manager, he will be succeeding Berndt.
Schiappa, who has been hired as Sierra Produce’s new East Coast Sales Manager, will be taking over for Hohman. He previously worked for the company from 2006 to 2016 and has held other leadership roles at Pacific Trellis Fruit and Del Monte.
Though Berndt will no longer be involved in the day-to-day operations of Sierra Produce, he will remain active as an advisor to GrubMarket. He started Sierra Produce in 1995 as a California kiwifruit marketing company and grew the company to become a year-round shipper of table grapes, kiwifruit, citrus, and blueberries.
Sierra is now also a leading importer of cherries, stonefruit, pears, and apples to both the West and East Coasts of the United States.
"Sierra Produce's reputation in the fresh fruit industry is unparalleled. As one of the biggest providers of South American fruits in the U.S., Sierra ships millions of boxes of fruit each year to GrubMarket's customers across the country. Under Roland's leadership, Sierra has seen strong double-digit, year-over-year revenue growth and has continued maintaining their excellent reputation for impeccable food safety standards,” commented Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of GrubMarket. “Looking ahead, we are excited to see Jim thrive as Sierra's new General Manager. Jim is a hard-working and dedicated team player who contributed greatly to the current success of Sierra Produce. I am confident that his 30-plus years of industry experience will help Sierra and GrubMarket through our next phase of continued growth and dominance in the industry."
Best of luck to all three leaders as they go down these new pathways!
