DALLAS, TX and DENVER, CO – Our industry is in constant flux, whether it is the will of Mother Nature, shifts in leadership, or mergers and acquisitions. As industry members look to their next stages of growth, two fresh produce pioneers are teaming up to bring an exciting new service to company owners. Julie Krivanek of Krivanek Consulting, Inc., and Steve Grinstead of The Grinstead Group have joined forces to benefit owners who want to sell their companies.

“This special package is for those owners who are looking for the ‘1+1=3’ synergy that Steve and I provide when we join forces,” said Krivanek.“Our firms continue to retain their individual identities and consulting services.” 

These two senior advisors bring clients a two-part, time-proven service to owners who have made the decision to sell their businesses, according to a press release.

“After years of hard work building your company, when you’re ready to take that next step we can position you to get the most worth,” said Krivanek. 

During this first phase of the process, Krivanek brings her experience to the table and works with a company’s leadership team to design a strategy to increase the value of the business in advance of offering it for sale. This entails analyzing the business, leadership team, as well as the company culture. The next step is then co-creating with the team a growth strategy, which includes coaching them to high performance.

“Julie and I bring insiders’ perspectives to our industry colleagues that they won’t get from merger and acquisition (M&A) companies who don’t understand the unique world of fresh produce,” said Grinstead.

To bring the process together, Grinstead then takes the reins and with a company’s value now increased, during the second phase of the process, he determines that valuation, identifies potential buyers, negotiates terms of a sale, and closes the deal.

“Behind that process is a team that has a combined 85 years’ worth of business experience, including long track records as executives ourselves—most of it in the fresh produce industry,” said Grinstead.

So, what is this abundance of knowledge and understanding that both Krivanek and Grinstead bring to the table?

With the founding of her company in 1990, Krivanek brought a wealth of real-world business experience gained outside of the industry, along with family roots in retail grocery and farming. Her background includes over 15 years on the fast track as a Fortune 10 Vice President, including the company’s mergers and acquisitions team. Krivanek has provided management and strategic consulting to produce industry leaders across the globe for more than 25 years.

So, you can imagine that this repertoire of expertise will do her clients well.

“Our two-step process is proven to generate the best possible outcome for an owner who is ready to transition,” Krivanek added. 

Grinstead formed The Grinstead Group after serving as long-time chief executive of PRO*ACT, and starting up and acquiring numerous other companies. His consultancy focuses on the fresh food industry, providing M&A, executive placement, and other consulting services to companies seeking high growth.

“We have known each other for almost 20 years, this is an obvious partnership that extends our respective companies’ value chains,” stated Grinstead.

Congrats to both Julie and Steve on this recent announcement, and we are excited to see what you accomplish on the road ahead!

Krivanek Consulting  The Grinstead Group