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TOM BRINDELL, 39 Director Of Produce And Salad Bar Operations Dierbergs Markets
HQ: Chesterfield, MO
Hometown: St. Louis
Hobbies: Traveling, yard work, home improvements
Personal/Community: Married, three children, volunteer coach for multiple sports Motto in life: Normal day let me beware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. — Mary Jean Irion Work history: Brindell started his career in 1996 while in high school as a part-time courtesy clerk at Dierbergs. During his time at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, he worked in a variety of part-time positions including cashier, grocery clerk and finally produce clerk. After graduating college with a degree in management and organizational behavior, he was offered a position at Dier- bergs as a recruiter in the human resources department. After working a few years in HR, he missed the excitement and buzz of the store, which prompted his return to the store level in a manager-trainee position. He eventually progressed to a store direc- tor’s post. After five years as store director, he was asked by the company to replace an icon, Steve Duello, produce and salad bar director at Dierbergs for 40 plus years. Brin- dell jumped at the opportunity, and he was able to shadow Duello for three years before the official retirement date. Brindell was promoted to his current position in 2017. He is now responsible for the overall operations of produce salad bars in 25 stores, as well as Dierbergs’ produce warehouse.
Q: How did you begin working in the produce industry?
I began as a part-time produce clerk in 1998. There was an open position, and I asked to be transferred from center-store
grocery clerk to produce. I was fascinated by the ever-changing seasons, the expan- sive product selection and the customer interaction.
Q: What aspect of the business chal- lenged you the most early on?
How fast it changes. Market pricing, weather in growing regions and customer demands can blow your plans up, and you have to be reactive and think quick on your feet.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?
I’m very proud of the way we are expanding our Fresh Cut/Easy Meal Solutions. We are continuing to find ways to make it easy, convenient and simple. It could be as simple as cut fruit or more unique like veggie noodles, fresh-cut salsas or marinated veggie blends in a cook-able bag. I’m proud that we are able to stay up with the trends.
Q: What advice would you give someone new to the produce industry? The best advice I could give someone is put your head down and work hard. If you have a good set of hands and enjoy conversing with the customer, you will ascend in the produce business.
Q: What do you see as the most critical “hot button” issue facing the industry in the next decade?
Definitely food safety concerns. This is one area that keeps me up at night. It is a must that retailers have the highest food safety standards. Not only is your brand on the line, but also the customers’ safety. It is hugely important to me that customers trust our fresh foods.
Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception about the produce industry by the public at large?
I think there is a blurred vision between local and organic. I think when most customers hear local, they automatically think organic and pesticide-free, which is not always the case.
Q: How has the industry changed during your tenure?
Definitely the production that is needed in the back room. The amount of prep work done in the back room today is consider- ably less than 20 years ago. More and more product is coming in prepped, wrapped and ready to eat.
C.J. BUXMAN, 37 Co-Owner
Fruit World Co., Inc. HQ: Reedley, CA
Hometown: Reedley, CA
Hobbies: International travel Personal/Community: Married, two boys Motto in life: People and relationships are more valuable than money.
Work history: Buxman spent much of his childhood in his father’s truck, learning the farming side of stone fruit ranches in the Reedley area and learning the details of packing stone fruit in the packinghouse. Encouraged by family to do something else, he pursued degrees in computer engineering and a Master’s in accounting. However, he returned from college to run the family packinghouse, packing more than a million boxes of stone fruit per season. When his father’s company, Sunny Cal Farms, went out of business in the 2000s, he left agricul- ture completely, thinking it wasn’t for him. Seven years later, he returned to the farm and decided to lease and plant farm prop- erties. A few years later, he transitioned all the farms over to organic (influenced by his wife, who had became devoted to organic produce). This young farmer who started with 20 acres grew to 200 acres on his own. In 2017, he realized he needed to move into the marketing and sales of the produce, as well. He teamed up with partner Bianca Kaprielian to form Fruit World Company. Fruit World now represents product from four other growers and sells to major retailers in the United States. Sales have doubled year- over-year since 2017, with the company adding additional staff each year.
Q: How did you begin working in the produce industry?
I was dusting off fuzzy peaches with a feather duster at the packinghouse as a 6-year-old. What attracted me to produce is the creative nature of the business. My mother always told me, ‘Don’t be a farmer
like us,’ but produce ran too deep in my blood to stay away forever.
Q: What aspect of the business chal- lenged you the most early on?
On the farming side, it was the emotional ups and downs of the good and bad years. The highs can be so high, but the lows can be so low. It was difficult not to constantly be on an emotional roller coaster. On the sales side, early on, the challenge was adapting to a different pace of information flow. The sales and buying end is much faster paced than farming. Orders can be made or lost in a matter of minutes.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?
I’m proud to be the one who is carrying on my family’s produce legacy.
Q: What industry improvements would you like to see?
Logistics need to be more efficient.
Q: What advice would you give someone new to the produce industry? Never change your phone number.
Q: What was the “aha” moment when you knew the produce industry was the best choice for you?
My wife would say my eyes would light up when having a conversation about produce. Then, having whiskey with a college buddy of mine, he screamed at me and said our generation needed more farmers, but nobody has the knowledge to carry it on. Those two stories led up to my ‘aha moment.’ It’s been the best career decision of my life.
Q: What are some of the more chal- lenging aspects of a career in the produce industry today?
Navigating through the consolidations that are occurring.
Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception about the produce industry by the public at large?
That farming is romantic. It’s not always. It can be a tough business.
Q: How has the industry changed during your tenure?
I still remember my father on a CB radio and desk phone — when orders were faxed. The communication methods have changed tremendously — obviously.
PRODUCE BUSINESS / JUNE 2019 / 21