Potandon Produce Celebrates 20 Years

Idaho Falls, ID – March 1st, marked 20 years of business for Potandon, LLC. 

Thank you to our Customers that have stayed with us throughout the years.  It has been an honor to serve you and we look forward to working with you in meeting consumers’ changing needs.

Thank you to our Grower Partners who have taught us so much about potatoes and onions.  We are humbled by your trust in us and thankful for your support.

We look back on how far we’ve come, what got us here and how it is shaping our plans for the future.

Potandon Produce is the largest marketer of fresh potatoes and onions in North America.   The company began in the early 1990’s with just a few employees selling Green Giant™ brand potatoes out of a small sales office in Shelley, Idaho (which was then a part of the Pillsbury Company). In 1989, Grand Metropolitan, a property conglomerate headquartered in London England, acquired Pillsbury and by 1994 changed the new business development strategy from building businesses to acquiring them.  Jeff Sholl, then Vice President and General Manger of the Green Giant Fresh division knew his new business venture would be closed.  He believed so strongly that the Green Giant™ brand had unlimited potential in fresh produce that he negotiated a deal with Pillsbury for the rights to the brand for future development in the world of fresh produce.  In January 1995, the Sholl Group was founded.  By March 1st 1995, Jeff Sholl, three of the original employees and six of the business's grower partners formed Potandon Produce L.L.C.

The newly formed company started operations in Idaho Falls, Idaho with Mel Davenport who headed up Operations and Grower relations, Kent Romrell (now retired) who headed up Sales and Business Development, and Steve Ottum who managed the Finances, Accounting, and Marketing.  The first task was naming the new venture.  POTANDON, sometimes a tongue twister, clearly states exactly what the company is all about – POTatoes AND ONions – nothing more, nothing less.

“We built our company on some very relevant pillars,” stated Co-Chief Operating Officer, Mel Davenport, “High quality products, great service, and innovation in the marketplace.  We have a great grower group that helps us to grow in all aspects, and without their dedication, we would not be where we are today. The last 20 years have been exciting, and watching the growth and development of the company is thrilling.”  Today Potandon Produce™ is the sole provider of potato and onion products for Green Giant Fresh™. We also grow products for Klondike Brands™, Sunfresh™, Potandon Produce, and The Valley™ labels. 

This commitment to innovation has resulted in some milestone events over the last twenty years. One notable highlight occurred in 2002, when Klondike Rose® potatoes were introduced to the market. These unique potatoes were not only a game changer for Potandon, but also changed the entire fresh potato industry, bringing new life into what was, at the time, a stagnant category.  It was the first fresh potato variety in several decades to capture mainstream consumer attention. With several other new varieties already in development, the team at Potandon had the tools it needed to bring real and lasting change to the fresh potato industry while simultaneously growing the company. 

In the period between 2002 and 2009, several other growers joined Potandon, each adding key supplies and valuable partnerships. 

In order to continue to meet changing consumer needs through innovation, Potandon saw the need to manage its own seed development program.  In 2009, Potandon entered into a joint venture to form Sunrain Varieties LLC.  This new venture is a one of a kind operation, unlike anything else in the private sector of the United States.  A proverbial think tank of Agronomists, Quality Assurance Professionals, and experts in growing and field trials, the team at Sunrain focuses on producing the highest quality, disease free potato seed for growers across the country.

With so much focus on the potato portion of the business, many people forget that Potandon is also a national onion supplier with 52 week sourcing.  This segment of the business will be a big focus going into 2015 complete with a redesigned packaging look and a more focused approach to developing branded onion sales, especially in the Vidalia® and Sweet onion segments.

Potandon has also been an industry leader in Food Safety, doing third party audits and having an extensive quality control team in place long before it became an industry standard. “This area of the company is critical to preserving the brand consistency that our customers expect,” remarked Steve Ottum, CO-Chief Operating Officer.  

With shipping and packing locations in all major growing regions and a solid partnership with EarthFresh Farms in Toronto, Potandon is able to offer a diverse and high quality category solution for all customers in retail, foodservice, and wholesale across the United States and Canada.

When asked, what’s in store for the company that has brought about so much positive and impactful change to the marketplace, Mel Davenport responded, “we expect to add several new products in the next few years that will fundamentally change the market.  We see our next generation of potato items to be even healthier, have new and unique flavors and tastes, and bring about eating experiences that will excite and delight consumers long into the future.” 

Steve Ottum in closing had this to say, “While we celebrate the success and growth of Potandon over the past 20 years, we know we could not have gotten where we are today without our knowledgeable, hard-working, and dedicated employees.  I would like to sincerely recognize and say thank you to our outstanding team.  We started this adventure with 12 people in 1995 and now have a family of 116. Our success is due to all those who built the company and continue to work hard every day to make it the success it has become.  I’m excited for the future of Potandon over the next 20 years and beyond.”

Founder Jeff Sholl said “it is with enormous pride that today we celebrate 20 years of business and thank everyone who has been involved in helping Potandon become the business it is today.  We look towards the coming years with excitement and determination to deliver on the promises on which the business was founded.”

About Potandon Produce L.L.C.

Headquartered in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Potandon Produce is the largest marketer of fresh potatoes and one of the largest marketers of fresh onions in North America.  Potandon holds the exclusive licensing rights to the Green Giant™ brand for fresh potatoes and onions in North America, and is able to provide year-round supply to any size retail, foodservice, or wholesale customer.  Potandon is also an industry leader in food safety and in bringing innovative products to the market. Visit www.potandon.com to learn more about Potandon, and go to Potandon’s consumer website, www.klondikebrands.com, to learn more about the company’s distinctive potato varieties. To learn more about the Green Giant™ Fresh program visit www.greengiantfresh.com.

Green Giant, the Giant character and related words and designs are trademarks of General Mills – used under license.  ©General Mills

Klondike Rose, Klondike Goldust and related characters are trademarks of Sunrain Varieties LLC – used under license.   ©Sunrain Varieties LLC.

Source: Potandon Produce L.L.C.