Kenfield departs Ripe 'N Ready, takes VP slot at SunFed
Kenfield departs Ripe 'N Ready, takes VP slot at SunFed
Steve Kenfield, who spent the last several years as president of Ripe 'N Ready in Parlier, CA, has moved to Nogales, AZ, to take a position as vice president of sales and marketing with SunFed.
"I have known [SunFed founder] Danny [Mandel] for a long time," said Mr. Kenfield. "We worked together way back when I was with Amerifresh" in Seattle.
Mr. Kenfield started his produce career with the international sales division of the Bruce Church Co. around 1979, "then migrated over to their pre-cut lettuce division, Red Coach Foods, which today is known as Fresh Express."
He subsequently went to Miller Cascade in Seattle and became general sales manager of that company's produce operation. "They acquired Pacific Gable Robinson, and I became president of their shipping divisions, today known as AmeriFresh. That is where Danny and I connected. Then I came back to California and worked for Corrin Produce Sales," later Kings Canyon Corrin, and "that became Ripe 'N Ready," he said.
At SunFed, Mr. Kenfield will focus, as he did at Ripe 'N Ready, "on identifying ways to bring more value to the customer and grow the volume in order to bring more value to the grower."
The Mexican-grown tomato and vegetable products with which Mr. Kenfield will work at SunFed are "obviously dramatically different" from the California stone fruit products he worked with at Ripe 'N Ready, he said. Also, "the growing regions are dramatically different. I have a lot to learn, there is no question about that. But a lot of the same fundamentals are there," he said. "I think the things customers are looking for are pretty consistent across product lines."
"I have known [SunFed founder] Danny [Mandel] for a long time," said Mr. Kenfield. "We worked together way back when I was with Amerifresh" in Seattle.
Mr. Kenfield started his produce career with the international sales division of the Bruce Church Co. around 1979, "then migrated over to their pre-cut lettuce division, Red Coach Foods, which today is known as Fresh Express."
He subsequently went to Miller Cascade in Seattle and became general sales manager of that company's produce operation. "They acquired Pacific Gable Robinson, and I became president of their shipping divisions, today known as AmeriFresh. That is where Danny and I connected. Then I came back to California and worked for Corrin Produce Sales," later Kings Canyon Corrin, and "that became Ripe 'N Ready," he said.
At SunFed, Mr. Kenfield will focus, as he did at Ripe 'N Ready, "on identifying ways to bring more value to the customer and grow the volume in order to bring more value to the grower."
The Mexican-grown tomato and vegetable products with which Mr. Kenfield will work at SunFed are "obviously dramatically different" from the California stone fruit products he worked with at Ripe 'N Ready, he said. Also, "the growing regions are dramatically different. I have a lot to learn, there is no question about that. But a lot of the same fundamentals are there," he said. "I think the things customers are looking for are pretty consistent across product lines."
