After more than three decades in the fresh produce industry, much of it spent championing mangos and working closely with growers, shippers and retailers, Cindy Swanberg Schwing is preparing to close one chapter and begin another.

Schwing, vice president of marketing/retail sales for Splendid by Porvenir, will step away from the day-to-day pace of the business on March 20 following a career defined by produce marketing, international agriculture and a deep connection to farming that began long before she entered the industry professionally.

“I’m a farmer’s daughter, an Aggie, and agriculture is part of my DNA,” Schwing said. “I was taught to have a deep respect for the land and what it produces for us and for the world.”

Schwing grew up in a farming family in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where relatives grew cotton and grain. Her family is of Swedish descent and gravitated to the rural agricultural region of Willacy County in Texas, where there is a vibrant Swedish community. A formative experience came when she spent a year in Sweden as a high school exchange student living and working on a farm.

“That experience taught me that farmers share many of the same challenges around the world,” she said. “It teaches a strong work ethic, resilience and perseverance, and of course, to learn to accept whatever disaster might come along.”

Unexpected Entry into Produce
Produce was not initially part of Schwing’s career plan. After earning an MBA in international business in Monterey, CA, she intended to move to New York City to work in merchandising for Cotton Incorporated. Instead, a phone call from a family friend alerted her to an opportunity with TexaSweet Citrus in the Rio Grande Valley.

She accepted a role as public relations coordinator and merchandising representative for the Texas citrus industry — a job that would launch a career she never anticipated.

“I knew nothing about fresh produce,” Schwing said. “My family grew cotton and grain, but citrus was completely foreign to me. I soaked up knowledge about Texas red grapefruit and oranges as fast as I could.”

Within a year she was recruited by WareHouse Farms, which at the time was the largest citrus company in the Rio Grande Valley, to serve as marketing director. There she focused on brand marketing for the company’s “Rio Queen” label and began developing export programs for Texas citrus.

Drawing on her international business background, Schwing helped secure Targeted Export Assistance funding to promote Texas citrus in markets such as Japan and Europe. One milestone included coordinating an industry shipment to Germany via a charter vessel from Brownsville, TX, marking the first such export effort in more than a decade.

Her time at WareHouse Farms also coincided with one of the most difficult moments in the region’s citrus history.

“I experienced my first killer freeze in 1989, which caused complete devastation for the industry,” she said.

By that time, Schwing had already decided she wanted to run her own business. At just 27 years old, she launched a produce-focused marketing and consulting firm representing several non-competing companies in the Rio Grande Valley.

Over the next 12 years she handled marketing, advertising, promotions, packaging development, trade shows and retail outreach for a wide range of products. Among the brands and commodities she worked with were Rio Queen citrus, Trophy sweet onions and melons, Alita watermelon and tropical fruits marketed by London Fruit, including mangos, papayas and limes.

She also served as a spokesperson for the companies she represented, traveling extensively throughout the United States to promote their products.

“I had found my niche and my passion,” Schwing said. “I ate, drank and slept the produce business. I read every produce publication I could get my hands on.”

Her background in Spanish — she earned an undergraduate degree in the language and studied abroad in Madrid — became a consistent thread throughout her career, helping bridge relationships across the international produce trade.

“I love Spanish about as much as I love produce,” she said.

Passion for Mangos
After several years working outside the produce industry in roles that included teaching Spanish at both the high school and college levels, selling groceries for Ben E. Keith Foodservice, recording Spanish voiceovers for a Telemundo affiliate and helping at her family’s restaurant, Schwing eventually returned to the produce business.

Her return included managing business development and social media for London Fruit before joining the National Mango Board as a retail account manager covering the West Coast. It was there that her passion for mangos truly took off.

“I poured myself into the mango world,” Schwing said. “That’s when I became ‘Ms. Mango.’”

Over the past decade she has worked closely with growers and retailers to promote the category and educate consumers about mango varieties and usage.

In 2022, Schwing was recruited by Daniel Ibarra, president of Splendid by Porvenir, one of the larger mango growers in Mexico. During her three-plus years as vice president of marketing/retail sales, she helped develop several high-profile promotional campaigns including the company’s Jaguar Mango and “Keitt Kong” programs.

“The international and cultural side of mangos really appealed to me,” she said. “Mangos are grown all over the world, and that ties into my love of travel and agriculture.”

Her travels have often included visits to mango-growing regions, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Spain.

“I like the idea of endlessly exploring the many varieties of mangos and their individual nuances,” she said.

Lessons From a Changing Industry
Over the course of her 35-year career, Schwing has witnessed significant changes in the produce industry — particularly in technology.

“The move from fax machines to the internet, from MS-DOS computers to Windows, pagers to cell phones and now smartphones — all of that has changed how business is done,” she said.

While technology has improved efficiency, it has also accelerated the pace of the business.

“One can never escape work now,” Schwing said. “Before, issues often waited until the next business day. Now everything is immediate.”

At the same time, she has seen the industry expand dramatically with new packaging innovations and a wider array of produce varieties available to consumers year-round.

Another major shift has been the growing presence of women in produce leadership roles.

“When I first started, there were far fewer women in the industry,” Schwing said. “Little by little we’ve gained ground and respect.”

Even so, she said success in produce still requires resilience and commitment.

“It takes long hours and a strong work ethic,” she said. “But if you pay your dues, give back and conduct business honestly, you’ll come out ahead.”

Mentors and Relationships
Schwing credits several mentors who helped guide her career, including Mike Gower of Griffin & Brand, former retailer Dick Spezzano of Von’s, former customer Dale Liefer of Westlake Produce, and longtime colleague Tommy Wilkins.

“Mike Gower was a boss who coached and directed in such a positive way,” she said. “He was calm, collected and always a class act.”

Spezzano also played an important role during her citrus years, often taking time to share insights about the retail side of the business.

“He was never too busy to answer questions or help,” Schwing said.

Throughout her career she has also remained active in agricultural leadership and community organizations, including Texas Agri-Women, the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership program Leadership McAllen and Leadership Valley. She was a charter member of TIPA’s “In Bloom” as well.

Looking Ahead
As she prepares for retirement, Schwing said the relationships she has built across the industry are what she will miss most.

“My friends are in the produce business,” she said. “That’s what I’ll miss the most, as the produce business has been my life.”

She also admits she will not miss the constant problem-solving and daily pressures and stress that come with the job.

“I’m ready to get off the hamster wheel,” she said.

Her immediate plans include taking time to decompress, completing home projects, traveling and spending time with her husband and grown children. She also hopes to pursue hobbies such as scuba diving, gardening, scrapbooking and exercising more regularly.

“The way I look at it, these are my ‘go years,’” Schwing said. “Time and health will become priorities.”

Even so, she suspects her active personality may eventually lead her back into something new.

“I can’t be on the sidelines for long,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll find myself in the center of something very soon.”