T&A hires Lara Grossman as its director of marketing
T&A hires Lara Grossman as its director of marketing
Lara Grossman, who held the position of value-added product manager for Spreckels, CA-based grower and shipper Tanimura & Antle Inc. before switching to Ready Pac Produce Inc. in August 2004, has returned to T&A as its new director of marketing.
Ms. Grossman, 36, had worked for T&A from August 2002 until being assigned last summer to become marketing product manager for Irwindale, CA-based Ready Pac when Ready Pac acquired Salad Time, T&A?s packaged salad line.
The deal strengthened Ready Pac?s position as a premier processor of fresh-cut produce and enabled T&A to focus on its core business of growing and selling premium fresh vegetable products.
Despite being assigned to Ready Pac, Ms. Grossman retained her office at T&A?s Speckels headquarters. She said that her strong working knowledge of the products and the company and her experience navigating around T&A will help in her new role.
?I feel I have an advantage. I'm able to more or less hit the ground running," Ms. Grossman said. "I'm working with people I know." Ms. Grossman will report to Rick Bravo, T&A?s vice president of sales.
Though she said she had mixed feelings about leaving Ready Pac, Ms. Grossman said that she is "very satisfied to return to this spot." She said that she is proud of her work on the products Ready Pac will roll out in the near future.
Ms. Grossman also said that now that T&A has shed its salad business, it is a different company than it was a year ago.
?We?re allowed to be more focused as a result of having less to consider," Ms. Grossman said. "The company is focused on commodities and fresh vegetables and can concentrate resources on a single product line."
Her return to T&A also will allow her to re-visit projects she was "never able to get rolling? before, she said. In her previous role with T&A, Ms. Grossman was involved with the re-branding of the company?s label from "T&A? to "Tanimura & Antle," a re-branding to which both the company and consumers surveyed have responded very favorably.
Ms. Grossman came to T&A with a strong background in marketing and branding. Immediately prior to joining T&A in 2002, Ms. Grossman had been an account manager at Salinas, CA, advertising agency Full Steam Marketing & Design, where she managed marketing communications, merchandising, packaging and account-specific promotions for Salinas-based Fresh Express " Full Steam?s largest income-generating account. She also was involved in Full Steam?s work with Pro*Act, TransFresh, River Ranch and Wolfgang Puck.
As a product manager for oral-care product manufacturer Den-Mat (?Rembrandt? brand toothpaste) in Santa Maria, CA, Ms. Grossman launched Rembrandt?s baking soda toothpaste.
Ms. Grossman is married and lives in Salinas with her husband and two daughters.
Ms. Grossman, 36, had worked for T&A from August 2002 until being assigned last summer to become marketing product manager for Irwindale, CA-based Ready Pac when Ready Pac acquired Salad Time, T&A?s packaged salad line.
The deal strengthened Ready Pac?s position as a premier processor of fresh-cut produce and enabled T&A to focus on its core business of growing and selling premium fresh vegetable products.
Despite being assigned to Ready Pac, Ms. Grossman retained her office at T&A?s Speckels headquarters. She said that her strong working knowledge of the products and the company and her experience navigating around T&A will help in her new role.
?I feel I have an advantage. I'm able to more or less hit the ground running," Ms. Grossman said. "I'm working with people I know." Ms. Grossman will report to Rick Bravo, T&A?s vice president of sales.
Though she said she had mixed feelings about leaving Ready Pac, Ms. Grossman said that she is "very satisfied to return to this spot." She said that she is proud of her work on the products Ready Pac will roll out in the near future.
Ms. Grossman also said that now that T&A has shed its salad business, it is a different company than it was a year ago.
?We?re allowed to be more focused as a result of having less to consider," Ms. Grossman said. "The company is focused on commodities and fresh vegetables and can concentrate resources on a single product line."
Her return to T&A also will allow her to re-visit projects she was "never able to get rolling? before, she said. In her previous role with T&A, Ms. Grossman was involved with the re-branding of the company?s label from "T&A? to "Tanimura & Antle," a re-branding to which both the company and consumers surveyed have responded very favorably.
Ms. Grossman came to T&A with a strong background in marketing and branding. Immediately prior to joining T&A in 2002, Ms. Grossman had been an account manager at Salinas, CA, advertising agency Full Steam Marketing & Design, where she managed marketing communications, merchandising, packaging and account-specific promotions for Salinas-based Fresh Express " Full Steam?s largest income-generating account. She also was involved in Full Steam?s work with Pro*Act, TransFresh, River Ranch and Wolfgang Puck.
As a product manager for oral-care product manufacturer Den-Mat (?Rembrandt? brand toothpaste) in Santa Maria, CA, Ms. Grossman launched Rembrandt?s baking soda toothpaste.
Ms. Grossman is married and lives in Salinas with her husband and two daughters.
