Calavo adds Browne as VP of fresh operations
Calavo adds Browne as VP of fresh operations
Michael Browne, formerly president and CEO of Fresh Directions International in Ventura, CA, has been named vice president of fresh operations at Calavo Growers Inc. in Santa Paula, CA. He replaces Al Thorne, who is retiring.
Mr. Browne was a founding partner of Fresh Directions, which was formed in 1997, and he remained the company's top executive until his departure earlier this year. Previously he had been president and CEO of Index Fresh, an avocado packing, importing and marketing company in Bloomington, CA.
Mr. Browne's hiring by Calavo brings his career "nearly full circle," he told The Produce News. "In the early 1980s, I was with Santa Clara Produce up here in Oxnard [CA], and I spent about six months with Calavo in the field department." In 1985, he went to work for Mendelson-Zeller, and was there until 1989. "Then I ran Index" until 1996, he said. "My whole career has been in the avocado business," Mr. Browne said. He chose to join Calavo as head of fresh operations because "Calavo is the obvious leader in the avocado business in North America, and they are going through a lot of really exciting changes in the company and also within the industry. When the position was made available in operations, I took great interest in it."
He continued, "Although I have run several companies and been involved in all facets of companies," including domestic sales and marketing and international operations, "my main enjoyment has always been on the operational side, the procurement, the growing side, the packing side, logistics and value added."
Much of the focus at Calavo going forward will be "on the value-added side," he said. That has always been true at Calavo, "but we are going to be turning it up a couple of notches & to create value for growers, given the large volumes that are coming in not only from California but internationally."
Mr. Browne was a founding partner of Fresh Directions, which was formed in 1997, and he remained the company's top executive until his departure earlier this year. Previously he had been president and CEO of Index Fresh, an avocado packing, importing and marketing company in Bloomington, CA.
Mr. Browne's hiring by Calavo brings his career "nearly full circle," he told The Produce News. "In the early 1980s, I was with Santa Clara Produce up here in Oxnard [CA], and I spent about six months with Calavo in the field department." In 1985, he went to work for Mendelson-Zeller, and was there until 1989. "Then I ran Index" until 1996, he said. "My whole career has been in the avocado business," Mr. Browne said. He chose to join Calavo as head of fresh operations because "Calavo is the obvious leader in the avocado business in North America, and they are going through a lot of really exciting changes in the company and also within the industry. When the position was made available in operations, I took great interest in it."
He continued, "Although I have run several companies and been involved in all facets of companies," including domestic sales and marketing and international operations, "my main enjoyment has always been on the operational side, the procurement, the growing side, the packing side, logistics and value added."
Much of the focus at Calavo going forward will be "on the value-added side," he said. That has always been true at Calavo, "but we are going to be turning it up a couple of notches & to create value for growers, given the large volumes that are coming in not only from California but internationally."
