LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — FreshXperts announced that Don Harris has joined the produce consulting group as its newest associate. Harris, an industry professional with 40 years of experience, will provide FreshXperts’ clients with expertise in the areas of category development and management, buying strategies, training, and organic operations.
“Don Harris is an industry leader and an innovator, who will help FreshXperts’ clients identify and respond to the unique challenges facing their businesses,” said Anthony Totta, business development and marketing expert for FreshXperts. “We are pleased to add his base of knowledge to our team and look forward to working with him to help our clients meet the demands of this ever-changing industry.”
Harris, who is president of Harris Consulting Solutions, a produce consulting firm located in Boulder, Colorado, consults with suppliers, equipment companies, retail supermarkets, and government agencies to help them develop strategic plans, merchandising programs and selling strategies. He also conducts training seminars on various topics.
Before launching his own consultancy, Harris spent four years as director of category development for Naturipe, where he supervised various retail accounts and was responsible for growth of the company’s berry categories. He also worked for five years at organic grocer Wild Oats, where he served as vice president of produce and floral and was responsible for all related merchandising, purchasing, and training. There, he developed an organic buying team that supplied organic produce to more than 100 stores nationwide. Additionally, Harris spent 30 years with the national supermarket chain, Safeway, holding various leadership positions in the areas of corporate produce merchandising and marketing, buying operations, strategic planning and divisional relations.
Harris holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from the University of Idaho, as well as certificates in Postharvest Technology from UC Davis and Organic Fruit Sales and Merchandising from Washington State University. He currently writes a monthly column for the produce industry magazine, Produce Business.
“FreshXperts’ team of industry experts understands where our industry is moving and has embraced new strategies and technologies to help their clients succeed. I am excited to be working with FreshXperts to help retailers, suppliers, and other organizations determine how to meet the challenges ahead and to equip them with the knowledge and strategies that will help them to prosper,” said Harris.
FreshXperts is a consulting consortium with over two centuries of combined experience in the produce industry. The FreshXperts industry professionals have experience in nearly every aspect of the fresh industry and provide expertise in marketing, supply chain visibility, packaging, business technology tools, product development, merchandising strategies, organizational training, organizational governance, corporate professional analysis, and predictive index testing. More information about FreshXperts is available at www.freshxperts.com.
Source: FreshXperts