NOGALES, AZ - A new force is taking shape in the Southwest as Delta Fresh Sales prepares to step into a larger arena of our industry. The company has made multiple strategic moves over the past several months to grow both business and growing operations.
Additions to volumes, commodity mix, and producing areas are all slated for this coming season, as well as plans for year-round production on all Delta Fresh’s major commodities. And, to ensure support to all these implementations, the company has seen adjacent growth to its roster.
“We have built a strong sales team, and to back that up, we have made a lot of changes and additions on the administrative side to improve our operations for our employees, our family of growers, and our customers across North America,” Atanasio Panousopoulos, Delta’s Chief Executive Officer, stated.
“With this new team, I can oversee the administrative side but have time to return to the Sales Department, something I have always loved,” Panousopoulos continued.
Each person is a piece that will propel Delta Fresh into a new era of growth, according to a press release.
Making for a seven-person sales division, the newest hire to join Delta Fresh is Pedro Balderrama, bringing over eight years of industry experience to his role.
Additionally, Omyth Ornelas, Delta’s previous Food Safety Office, will be joining the sales department full-time to round out the team’s number and expertise.
The new administration consists of Walter Palazuelos, Chief Financial Officer; Werner Cota, Director of Operations and Grower Relations; Nicolas Inigo, Sales, Grower Relations, and Business Development; and Jerry Wagner, Senior Business Advisor.
Walter joined the team last November and brings with him experience in the produce industry that spans 19 years.
Werner joined the firm in 2019 and comes from a farming family. He previously worked for CAADES, grower association for the state of Sinaloa in Mexico, and holds many strong contacts across all of Mexico. Werner is working to expand Delta’s supplier base as well as providing services to the company’s current ones.
Nicolas will be wearing many hats this season, as his title indicates, in addition to managing his own family growing operations in Nuevo Casa Grande, Chihuahua. Nico, a Delta Salesman who originally joined the company back in 2012, rejoined the firm in 2021 and will be continuing some sales remotely while also performing tasks in both business development and grower relations.
Jerry has been active in the produce industry since the mid 1970s both in the day-to-day-sales side as well as serving on various trade association boards, bringing a wealth of industry wisdom since becoming Delta’s Senior Business Advisor last April.
With so many dominoes poised for 2023, AndNowUKnow will continue to report on this actively rising company.
