Rick and Tonya Antle, who rose to prominence in the fresh produce industry along different paths, are being honored together Jan. 12 with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the United Fresh Produce Association’s Midwinter Leadership Forum in La Quinta, CA.

Tom Stenzel, president of United Fresh, said the two are each very deserving of the award, which previously honored Bob Grimm, Reggie Griffin, Frieda Caplan, Joe Procacci and Mike Cavallero.Tonya and Rick Antle, each well known in the produce industry for their respective careers, are being honored Jan. 12 with a Lifetime Achievement Award by United Fresh during the association’s Midwinter Leadership Meeting in La Quinta, CA.

“Both Rick and Tonya have been leaders in our industry as long as I can remember,” said Stenzel. “I first met each of them soon after joining United in 1993. Rick was the strong-willed, never-shy grower in Salinas who clearly let me know what he thought on any issue. Tonya was already making a name for organic produce, long before it became mainstream for so many growers. Both have always seemed to have that extra level of energy it takes to be first, plowing new ground and setting the pace for others to follow.”

Stenzel said that beyond their contributions to their particular companies, both have made their marks on the industry and their communities.

“I’ve enjoyed interacting with them over the years,” he said. “I’ve also come to appreciate Rick beyond the bluster and Tonya beyond her driving focus on business. They are both warm and caring individuals who always take the time to help others. Whether it’s in their personal relationships with both suppliers and customers throughout the industry, or their willingness to mentor young kids coming into the business, they always go that extra step. It’s a real honor for United to be able to honor Rick and Tonya together this year, and I salute them for all they have contributed to grow our industry.”

Rick Antle grew up in the family business as the grandson of vegetable pioneer Bud Antle and son of the equally imposing Bob Antle. He began his career at Bud Antle Inc., and launched Tanimura & Antle with his father and brother and the Tanimura family in 1982. That continued a tradition of the Antles selling the crops that the Tanimuras grow, dating back to 1949. Together, the two families have built a powerful and innovative company, with Rick taking a lead role in guiding the course for the past three decades.

Tonya Antle also grew up in a farming family with her roots being set in the fertile San Joaquin Valley as a member of the grape-growing Hronis clan. She personally began her produce career in Los Angeles at Frieda’s Inc. in 1982, then found her niche at Pavich Family Farms through most of the 1980s and ‘90s, as that company pioneered organic production in the mainstream produce industry. In 1998, Tonya joined Earthbound Farms, where she remained through 2011 and is largely credited with turning that firm into the leading organic vegetable brand in the country.

Mike Antle, executive vice president and chief operating office of Tanimura & Antle, and Rick’s brother, has obviously been close to the pair for many years.  

“Rick’s innovative contributions to the western vegetable industry are too numerous to imagine,” he said. “He truly is a legend as his grandfather and father are. A genuine leader is someone who teaches people how to lead, and Rick has had a huge impact on so many folks that have worked with him over the span of his career. Tonya is his ‘soil mate’ and does a great job of complementing him. A real marketing master that makes Rick look good.”

Karen Caplan, president of Frieda’s Inc., first hired Tonya and has remained a lifelong friend. “What sticks out is her charismatic personality,” Caplan said. “She almost single-handedly put Earthbound Farms on the map.”

In fact, she said Tonya Antle became the unofficial spokesperson for the organic sector of the produce industry and deserves much of the credit for its tremendous growth over the past couple of decades. From the time she first met her, Caplan said it was obvious that “Tonya was going to be a force to be reckoned with.” She was the first salesperson that Caplan hired and she believes it has been validated by the test of time.

Caplan also has a connection with Rick, pointing out that both of them have gone on to run companies founded by a generation before them. She said he has taken a very successful business and improved upon it.  

“He sees his job as keeping the company on the cutting edge and looking way, way into the future,” she said.

Caplan also touched on a theme about both the Antles that was heard often when discussing the duo. She said both have given much back to the industry and are caring people who are very generous in a private fashion.

Frank Padilla, a senior executive in perishables for Costco Wholesale, has interacted on a professional and personal level with both the Antles for many years. He remembers first meeting Tonya Antle in the early 1990s when “she totally cold-called me when I was a new-ish buyer in the Northern California Costco buying office. I didn’t know her from a bar of soap but she was touting an organic grape program from Delano California. She would have had me sold had it not been for the skimpy 25 SKUs we carried at the time, and there was not a single chance we could promote two styles of grapes.”

Ten years later, as Costco was building its organic program, Padilla said Tonya was a perfect fit as a supplier for the retailer and a great contributor to the industry. “She’s demonstrated boundless energy touting the benefits of organics, developing young produce industry hopefuls and supporting all produce trade associations along the way,” he said.

Padilla first met the Antle family very early in his career when he was at Richmond Produce and carried that relationship through to his career at Costco.

“I regard Rick as a straight shooter that tells it like it is,” said Padilla. “He has an innate sense to listen to his customers and anticipate needs by literally growing in the right direction. I also see Rick as a born leader who’s never afraid to take risks and to trust his team to do the right thing. I’ve also had the distinct pleasure to serve on the board of the United Fresh Produce Association, where we had spirited exchanges and conversations around very important industry issues. Rick always voiced his concern for what the produce industry needed and not just what would be beneficial to his company.”

Rich Dachman, vice president of produce at Sysco Corp., is another industry veteran who has known the Antles both personally and professionally. He started the conversation by applauding Rick’s business acumen, great reputation, visionary characteristics and the ability to listen to and then fulfill the needs of his customers.

But he also delved into an area not so evident to his industry friends.

“He is a lot of fun,” said Dachman. “He is one of the guys that makes this industry fun to be a part of.”

In his early days in Salinas, Dachman remembers being included by Rick on a wine-tasting day in Napa. “It’s a day I will never forget.”

But he also remembers negotiating with Rick and his father on many supplier contracts, with Rick being a fair and well-prepared advocate for T&A.  

With regard to Tonya Antle, Dachman said what strikes him is her quest to give back to the industry and community. He applauded her work at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, where she has mentored young ag students and also her never-ending charitable work. “She is always trying to give back.”

But he also noted that during her career, she was a female pioneer in an industry dominated by men. “She has always been the epitome of a professional female in our industry.”

Speaking of the duo, Dachman said, “They are great people and richly deserving of this award.”