NOGALES, AZ - With growth in its viewfinder, Divine Flavor has tapped a new leader to join its ranks, playing a key role in its development. Recently, the grower and distributor announced that Patrick Cortes has been appointed as its Director of Business Development and Strategic Planning.

“I’m thrilled to join the Divine Flavor team and contribute my experience to an already innovative brand that’s poised for growth,” said Cortes. “Divine Flavor is such a family-oriented company that values not only its workforce, but each of its stakeholders, whether it's their clients, growers, or anyone affiliated with the institution. Applying my knowledge from retail, foodservice, and wholesale, I plan to use this expertise and take Divine Flavor to the next level.”

Prior to joining Divine Flavor, Cortes spent the last eight years at Mission Produce as Vice President of Business Development, according to a release. Before that, he served as an Export Manager for the Gourmet Trading Company, where he oversaw markets outside of the United States, focusing on categories including berries and asparagus.

Now, he will use that expertise to bolster Divine Flavor’s growth and ongoing company development.

“The thoroughness with which Divine Flavor made sure I was the right candidate shows their commitment to cultivating the best talent,” said Cortes. “It demonstrated to me this is an organization which invests in the people they bring into the company, and their core family values greatly align with mine.”

President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Aguirre believes that Cortes will be a core piece of the company moving forward as they look to upcoming projects.

“We see Mr. Cortes in a pivotal role in our plans for the future,” he stated. “His knowledge and professionalism will bring balance and great things to our organization, and we are very excited he has joined the Divine Flavor family.”

Carlos Bon, Vice President of Sales, sees Cortes as a professional that not only has vast experience but also is passionate about produce.

“During the whole process, I became more and more excited about hiring Patrick,” said Bon. “Interview calls quickly became deep conversations about our industry, and you could really get a sense of his passion for the work he does. What did it for me was speaking with our customers to get their point of view, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive about him.”

Cheers to Patrick Cortes on his new role!

Divine Flavor