ARVIN, CA - A new potato stronghold has formed. Tasteful Selections^® and RPE, its exclusive sales and marketing partner, recently announced the formation of a new entity, Tasteful Partners. As per the arrangement, Tasteful Partners is acquiring RPE and closed on the sale in early November.

“This action will further align our agribusinesses, while better leveraging RPE as a strategic asset to help Tasteful Selections continue growing,” commented Tasteful Selections Chief Executive Officer Bob Bender.

Bender went on to note in the release that the deal creates synergies as well as alignment and integration opportunities across Tasteful Selections and RPE. The new Tasteful Partners entity is a wholly-owned CSS Farms subsidiary.

By consolidating, Tasteful Partners is localizing RPE’s expertise, proprietary data, category insight, intellectual property, and sales strategy assets with Tasteful Selections’ planting, growing, harvesting, and packing processes.

“Tasteful Selections already understands and appreciates the value RPE provides,” Bender continued. “We want to continue on the impressive growth trajectory we’re on while building upon RPE’s well-established reputation as a produce industry-leading innovation and solutions provider.”

Bender also noted that through consolidating Tasteful Selections and RPE in the new Tasteful Partners entity, this allows Tasteful Selections to better serve its customers as a vertically-integrated operation from seed to field to packing and the customer sale.

The familiarity and trust built during 12 years working together will be beneficial to a seamless transition. In the new organizational structure, Russell Wysocki remains the RPE Chief Executive Officer. He and the RPE management team will report to a newly-formed Tasteful Partners Board of Directors.

“We are very thankful and fortunate to have such wonderful team members across our family of companies,” Wysocki added. “They are valuable contributors and integral to our continued success. The collaborative spirit that sustained us during more than a decade of rapid Tasteful Selections expansion provides a solid foundation for continued growth,” said Wysocki.

Five facility expansions of RPE’s Arvin, California-based facility have occurred since 2014, marking an upward trajectory of growth.

As it continues to scale this growth, RPE has engaged Joe Produce Search, the executive search arm of JOE Produce, to search for its new Vice President of Program and Business Development. Looking for a sales-driven and strategic leader, the company will hire an individual who will play a key role in taking its business to the next level.

This is a nationwide search, and the team at Joe Produce Search is interviewing top professionals in fresh produce and food sales leadership to fulfill the executive position.

For those interested, please click here for more details.

We look forward to seeing more of the bright future of Tasteful Partners!

RPE Tasteful Selections^®