Former Gourmet Trading President and CEO Brian Miller Joins Mission Produce
OXNARD, CA – Mission Produce Inc. has hired Brian Miller as the company’s new Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
Brian has an extensive industry background, which includes the last 15 years where he served as President and CEO of Gourmet Trading Company.
Brian will be filling the position that was previously held by Ross Wileman, who is moving into an area where he will lead Mission’s special initiatives, which include food safety, global quality control and standardization from a sales point of view. Wileman has been with the company for 31 years.
While at Gourmet Trading, Brian progressed from a position in Sales in 2000, to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing, and then to President and CEO of the company. Prior to Gourmet Trading, he was a salesman at the Oppenheimer Company.
Mission’s President & CEO, Steve Barnard, said in a press release, “Brian is highly driven and goal oriented. He has South American, Asian and European experience, which will add great value to mission’s future.”
Speaking on Mission’s future, the company is involved with major construction projects in California and Peru where two new packing plants are nearing completion. According to the company, both facilities are state-of-the-art, energy efficient and will be the largest, most modern packing facilities in the world.
Mission is also making connections in Asia and Europe, and plans another Ripe Center in Rotterdam in the very near future.
The company is currently growing its own avocados in Peru, where significant planting has taken place over the last 5 years.
Barnard added, “The avocado category has grown at 10% compounded annually for 15 straight years, and the numbers are even higher this year. With demand for the fruit at all time highs, sourcing and growing is more important than ever. Concerning our Peruvian operations, we have invested heavily into the production of avocados, transportation and logistics. These moves were all essential in addressing the current demand.”
We congratulate Brian on his new role with Mission and look forward to seeing what the company has in store.
