“The mushroom industry is always changing and adapting to economic trends and varying consumer tastes,” said Sean Steller, director of business development for the Kennett Square, PA-based company. “Currently, our challenges include grappling with inflationary conditions, labor and consistency of raw materials required to produce a high-quality crop year-round.”

Despite those challenges, Steller said the future is bright for the mushroom industry, with demand for organic mushrooms increasing and specialty mushrooms finding their way to more plates.

“Consumers are on the lookout for healthy, sustainable menu options and mushrooms are one of the items that are benefiting from this trend,” said Steller.

While the popularity of mushrooms remains strong, sales are tempered by the inflation that continues to plague the U.S. economy.

“Over the last few years, the mushroom industry has experienced decreased demand as consumers face more difficult decisions with their grocery shopping budgets,” said Steller. “We anticipate this challenge to linger in the short term as production costs do not show any signs of improving and other commodity prices are increasingly unpredictable.”

Steller added that Phillips is committed to working with its partners to advance mushroom consumption in 2025 via promotional activity, introducing new items and leaning into trends when possible.

One of the more recent developments at Phillips is the creation of a new national sales manager position, which it recently filled with the hiring of longtime produce industry veteran in Larissa Rice.

“The national sales manager position was created to enhance engagement with category managers, buyers and partners across the country,” said Steller. “We are excited to have Larissa on board, as we will be able to leverage her years of mushroom experience and retail experience to continue to foster strong relationships with our existing customers.”

Rice comes to Phillips from Monterey Mushrooms, where she held the title of sales director. In total, she has more than 30 years of experience in the produce industry.

“I look forward to working closely with the Phillips team to enhance our sales strategy, develop new opportunities, and deliver outstanding results for our clients across the country,” said Rice.

Rice will make her Phillips debut at the upcoming SEPC Southern Exposure show in Orlando, where it plans to showcase a number of its items.

“This year, we are excited to introduce Larissa to many of our existing partners,” said Steller. “We’ll also be looking forward to meeting new potential collaborators and showcasing the latest additions to our portfolio of products, including Pink Oyster, a new organic mushroom mix and larger organic shiitake packages."

“We are always excited to network with produce industry friends, new and old,” added Steller. “SEPC is always a great show to learn about the latest industry updates.”