HAVERHILL, Mass. — Häns Kissle, a leading provider of fresh, upscale prepared foods and deli salads with an unwavering commitment to quality and service, is thrilled to announce the appointment of seasoned industry executive Ricardo (Ric) Alvarez, PhD. as its new Chief Executive Officer.
“We are happy to welcome Ric Alvarez into the Häns Kissle family,” said Masa Hidaka, Chairman of the Board for Häns Kissle. “Ric is known in the industry as a thoughtful leader and mentor who has a track record of operational success and growth. We have full confidence in his leadership to steer Hans Kissle toward further successful growth.”
Alvarez brings more than 30 years of food industry experience to Häns Kissle, having spent time at successful family-owned, private equity-owned and large, publicly traded food companies.
“I’m thrilled to join Häns Kissle at this exciting time for the company,” said Ric Alvarez, new CEO of Häns Kissle. “I look forward to continuing to innovate and delighting our customers with quality food known to bring people together.”
Alvarez started his career at Pizza Hut and eventually took on more international technical roles for PepsiCo Food Service International (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC) and later Chiquita Brands. Ric also led companies like Ruiz Foods, Frozen Specialties Inc, Juanitas Foods, Richelieu Foods, Raymond’s Foods and Overhill Farms. More recently, he held the CEO position at J&K Ingredients until it’s sale in late 2023.
Born in Chile, Alvarez moved to the United States to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of South Florida, a Masters and PhD in Food Service and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida, and continued his education at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
About Häns Kissle
Häns Kissle is a leading provider of Ready-to-Eat specialty food, serving customers in retail, foodservice, club and convenience stores throughout the country. Based in a state-of-the-art, 112,000 square foot facility in Haverhill MA., Häns Kissle specializes in providing customizable recipes, selections and packaging that meet the need for quality, fresh and convenient meal solutions to businesses and families nationwide. To better meet demand, Häns Kissle recently invested more than $62M in a new 100,000 square foot facility based in Dallas, NC. For more, visit https://www.hanskissle.com.
