Grow Farms Texas, a joint venture between the Horton Fruit Co. and Ciruli Bros. LLC, based in Donna, TX, has named Gretchen Kreidler director of business development.  

Kreidler will work alongside Tommy Wilkins and will represent the Horton and Ciruli family of companies, which includes Grow Farms, the Horton Fruit Co., Ciruli Bros. and Sunnyside Packing Co.Gretchen Kreidler

Drawing from the combined assets of Horton and Ciruli, Grow Farms Texas provides year-round supplies of squash, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and beans from the companies’ diverse growing locations in Mexico and the United States, including spring and summertime mangos. This includes access to growing programs in the Midwest and Southeastern United States, which operate from Grow Farms offices in Kentucky and Florida.

Grow Farms Texas also has access to Horton’s own logistics lines, Flagship Transportation and First Call Logistics, allowing for a truly efficient, full-service operation.

“Gretchen understands the dynamics of the industry and how important it is that as we evolve, we do so in anticipation of the changing needs of the marketplace,” Chuck Ciruli III of Ciruli Bros. said in a press release. “It is extremely vital that as we grow, we seek continuous synergy not only between our family of companies but with our customers as well. Gretchen will help facilitate communication with our customers to ensure our sales programs are aligned with their needs while making use of the many resources we have available.”  

“Gretchen will be instrumental in helping us grow new markets and develop customer retention programs with key accounts,” Jackson Woodward, chief executive officer of Horton Fruit and partner at Grow Farms Texas, added in the press release. “We are confident that her background in sales and marketing coupled with her positive and open demeanor will help us continue growing while supporting our vision of remaining a customer-focused and service oriented company.”  

“Making the move to Grow Farms was easy because of the opportunity it presents and because of the wonderful people I get to work with,” Kreidler said in the press release. “My role is still being developed but I will be working directly with the sales and senior management teams at Grow Farms and sister companies on developing sales and customizing year-round shipping solutions for retail clients.”