Tanimura & Antle's Bob Nielsen moves on
Tanimura & Antle's Bob Nielsen moves on
Bob Nielsen, senior vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel of Salinas, CA-based Tanimura & Antle, left the company April 15 after 14 years.
He has taken a position as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary with Monterey, CA-based Century Aluminum, a publicly owned, major aluminum producer.
The move is bittersweet for Mr. Nielsen, 61, who said he looks back fondly on the people he's worked with at T&A and met in the produce industry. He said he's proud to have helped T&A evolve and develop from "a relatively small startup" to "become a more successful company" that today is recognized as a leading fresh produce company.
Mr. Nielsen was at Castle & Cooke when the company acquired Bud Antle's company -- a precursor to T&A -- in 1977.
Mr. Nielsen said he doesn't think many foresaw how successful T&A would become. "The faint-hearted would not have succeeded," he said. "This [T&A] is a tenacious group of folks who don't give up."
Mr. Nielsen said the tenacious spirit exemplified at T&A permeates the fresh produce industry as a whole, adding that trade associations such as the Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, International Fresh-cut Produce Association and Western Growers Association have been a boon to the industry for companies of any size.
T&A's success is owed in large part to the character of the Tanimura and Antle families and their ability to work well in a family business environment, Mr. Nielsen said, adding that the chemistry between family and non-family members at T&A has been a key to the company's success. "Clearly it's the people -- I will miss the good people here," he said. Mr. Nielsen said he has worked with good legislators who understand the fresh produce industry, such as Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA).
At the same time as he feels the tug of comradeship at T&A, Mr. Nielsen is excited about entering a position in what for him will be a new industry.
"Life is full of opportunities and challenges," he said. "It's too easy to get into a rut." In Century Aluminum, Mr. Nielsen goes to a publicly held company -- compared with privately held T&A -- that operates in an international arena. He called people at Century Aluminum "top-notch."
Mr. Nielsen has always had a connection to farming, he said, even prior to joining Castle & Cooke in 1974. There were farmers in his family in his native Australia. He said there are similarities between the fresh produce industry and the aluminum industry that include both industries being commodity driven, as well as having fixed prices, supply contracts and forward selling.
Fresh produce will always hold a special place in his heart. Farmers' independence, love of the land and willingness to risk their capital is unique, he said. "Farming has been mythologized. It's pretty well deserved."
He has taken a position as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary with Monterey, CA-based Century Aluminum, a publicly owned, major aluminum producer.
The move is bittersweet for Mr. Nielsen, 61, who said he looks back fondly on the people he's worked with at T&A and met in the produce industry. He said he's proud to have helped T&A evolve and develop from "a relatively small startup" to "become a more successful company" that today is recognized as a leading fresh produce company.
Mr. Nielsen was at Castle & Cooke when the company acquired Bud Antle's company -- a precursor to T&A -- in 1977.
Mr. Nielsen said he doesn't think many foresaw how successful T&A would become. "The faint-hearted would not have succeeded," he said. "This [T&A] is a tenacious group of folks who don't give up."
Mr. Nielsen said the tenacious spirit exemplified at T&A permeates the fresh produce industry as a whole, adding that trade associations such as the Produce Marketing Association, United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, International Fresh-cut Produce Association and Western Growers Association have been a boon to the industry for companies of any size.
T&A's success is owed in large part to the character of the Tanimura and Antle families and their ability to work well in a family business environment, Mr. Nielsen said, adding that the chemistry between family and non-family members at T&A has been a key to the company's success. "Clearly it's the people -- I will miss the good people here," he said. Mr. Nielsen said he has worked with good legislators who understand the fresh produce industry, such as Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA).
At the same time as he feels the tug of comradeship at T&A, Mr. Nielsen is excited about entering a position in what for him will be a new industry.
"Life is full of opportunities and challenges," he said. "It's too easy to get into a rut." In Century Aluminum, Mr. Nielsen goes to a publicly held company -- compared with privately held T&A -- that operates in an international arena. He called people at Century Aluminum "top-notch."
Mr. Nielsen has always had a connection to farming, he said, even prior to joining Castle & Cooke in 1974. There were farmers in his family in his native Australia. He said there are similarities between the fresh produce industry and the aluminum industry that include both industries being commodity driven, as well as having fixed prices, supply contracts and forward selling.
Fresh produce will always hold a special place in his heart. Farmers' independence, love of the land and willingness to risk their capital is unique, he said. "Farming has been mythologized. It's pretty well deserved."
