Valley Fruit & Produce Hires Jin Ju Wilder As Director Of Marketing, Promotes Rick Paino To Sales Manager

Carrie La Londe, CFO at Valley Fruit & Produce in Los Angeles, CA, announced Jin Ju Wilder as the company’s Director of Marketing.  This is a new position for the company and Ms. Wilder will be bringing 20 years of produce industry experience to the planning, development, and implementation of Valley’s marketing strategies, external and internal communications, and public relations activities.  “I was very fortunate to work with Valley as a consultant over the last 3 years.  I am excited to work with a company that handles so much volume and has a very diverse customer base.  When Carrie and Doug presented me with an opportunity to participate in and have an impact on so many market channels, I couldn’t wait to get started,” Wilder stated.

Wilder is also the Founder/President of Status Gro, founded in 2010 to help businesses grow through strategic planning, innovation, and teamwork.  Through Status Gro, she has helped numerous produce companies design and implement branding, marketing, communications, and business development strategies.  Prior to launching Status Gro, Wilder served as President of Coast Produce Company where she led their transformation from a regional produce wholesaler to a supply chain solutions provider on a national level for clients such as Albertsons, SuperValu, and Kroger as well as government agencies such as the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Logistics Agency.  Carrie La Londe shared, “Having Jin Ju as part of the Valley team strengthens our ability to provide our customers with highly customized and strategic solution packages.  Today, Valley is more than a produce wholesaler; we are responsible for our customers’ produce supply chain needs from the fields to the consumers’ forks.”

Valley Fruit & Produce Promotes Rick Paino to Sales Manager

In his new position as Sales Manager at Valley, Rick will ensure the Valley sales team is aware of the Company’s goals and he will work with the sales team to create strategies for accomplishing them.  Rick will also continue as the commodity manager for the apple and pear division at Valley.  Rick is looking forward to his expanded role at Valley, “It’s a challenge to balance providing our customers with highly competitive pricing paired with guaranteed quality and service while also making sure that we provide consistent and fair returns to our vendors.  It’s a challenge I am up to and I am eager to share my knowledge and experience with the sales team.”

That knowledge and experience spans a nearly 40 year produce career that began at Giumarra Brothers Fruit Co. in 1974.  Rick then joined Valley Fruit in 1986 and has been an integral part of the sales team for the last 27 years.  Doug La Londe, COO at Valley Fruit & Produce, said, “What Rick brings to the role of Sales Manager is a great combination of extensive produce selling and buying experience, a passion for produce, pride in being a part of Valley, and a strong desire to share all of that with the rest of the sales team.  Under Rick’s guidance, we look forward to continuing our tradition of providing great quality produce and service to our customers every day.”

For More Information, Contact:
Jin Ju Wilder
Director of Marketing
Tel. (213) 627-8736
Cell (626) 318-9418
JJW@valleyproduce.com

About Valley Fruit & Produce:

Valley Fruit & Produce, established in 1920, is a full-line wholesaler/distributor of quality fresh fruits and vegetables servicing a diverse customer base located throughout the United States and overseas.  From facilities in the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market (LAWPM), the Alameda Trade Center, and the 6th & Alameda Food and Produce Center, Valley deploys expert teams of produce specialists to provide solution packages that are unique to each customer. 

Without exception, Valley Fruit & Produce promises highly competitive pricing, guarantees its quality and service, and stands by its commitments made to customers.  Recognizing that they are only as successful as their customers, Valley turns every day into an opportunity to help their customers grow.  This is a practice Valley has lived by since 1920 and it is the fundamental reason why Valley is one of the largest and most highly regarded produce wholesalers in all of Southern California.

Source: Valley Fruit & Produce