LOS ANGELES, CA – Pacific Trellis Fruit, the owner of the Dulcinea® brand, has promoted two of its team members to leadership roles. Rob Markel has been promoted to the newly created position of Vice President of Sales-Melon Division, and Dan Carapella, Jr. to Vice President of Sales-Fruit Division. These promotions reflect the organization’s strategy of delivering partner value, volume growth and reputation as a market leader.
“Rob and Dan are both proven sales leaders who have shown time and again the ability to bring creative offers and solutions to our customer base, maximizing returns to the growers, and going above and beyond for the organization,” said Josh Leichter, CEO of Pacific Trellis Fruit. “In their new roles, they will further impact the service levels we provide customers with and lead the Sales teams in their respective categories,” added Leichter.
Markel has worked for Pacific Trellis Fruit for the past 25 years. In that time, he has developed a keen understanding and knowledge of the growing operations, logistics, customer base, and sales management, having been a driving force in the success on the melon side of the business. He will continue to do so as they head into the busier spring and summer melon seasons. “We have a strong brand, and our team works diligently to provide our Fruit of Legendary Perfection™. I look forward to working more closely with the sales group and our operations to drive both customer and consumer satisfaction while providing value to our grower partners,” added Markel.
Carapella has led Pacific Trellis Fruit’s efforts and provided direction in his role as Director of Special Projects, leading strategic initiatives for the Company. He has successfully led the East Coast sales team and the Transportation department among other sales management functions. With over 20 years of experience with companies including Oppenheimer, Fisher Capespan, Sbrocco International, and the last 5 years with Pacific Trellis Fruit, Dan will now oversee the entire fruit division sales team. “We are very fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated sales team that provides industry leading service to our customers and grower partners. I am extremely excited to lead this group and take our sales efforts to the next level,” said Carapella.
“These promotions and new positions signify the on-going sales growth we have experienced. We are excited to have Rob and Dan leading the teams. Their experience, dedication, and ability to get things done will assist our group’s efforts and strategy to continue to elevate our business, as well as growing the Dulcinea brand with high quality products targeting flavor and consumer satisfaction while providing first-class customer service. We are pleased to welcome both to their new roles,” added Leichter.
About Pacific Trellis Fruit
Pacific Trellis Fruit is one of North America’s top year-round growers and importers of premium fresh fruit, including melons, grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines, citrus, and cherries. We partner with growers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Spain, as well as domestic farmers across the United States. Our corporate headquarters is in Los Angeles, CA, with sales offices in Fresno, CA, Gloucester, NJ, and Tucson, AZ. Pacific Trellis owns and manages the renowned Dulcinea® brand. Dulcinea® is the pioneer of the PureHeart personal seedless melons as well as the Tuscan Style Cantaloupe, and Pacific Trellis has recently expanded the brand to pack grapes, citrus, cherries, and stone fruit. In 2020, Pacific Trellis fruit became the exclusive marketer and distributor of the KISS line of melons. For more information on Pacific Trellis Fruit, visit https://www.pacifictrellisfruit.com/. For more information on the Dulcinea® brand, visit https://www.dulcinea.com/.
