Sherrington, Québec – Gerry Van Winden, President and CEO of Vegpro International Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Stephan Schmekel to its Sales Team and thereby, present the new structure of its new Sales Team. The addition of Mr. Schmekel is part of Vegpro International’s ongoing commitment to strategically invest in its relationships with its partners in Canada and the United States.
According to Mr. Van Winden: “The repositioning of our Sales Team over the last twelve months reflects a desire to build closer proximity with our customers. Constant changes in the produce industry require that we pay close attention to our customers, their merchandising strategy and innovation needs. Our growth and success are intimately linked to theirs and we need to remain centered on providing them with high quality produce and second to none service level. Our focus is to help our retail partners perform through the development of our new products and market opportunities. The addition of Stephan Schmekel under the leadership of Luc Prévost demonstrates Vegpro’s engagement and commitment in the quality of our business relationships. We are proud to be able to attract such experts at Vegpro.”
Under the direction of Luc Prévost, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, the team is composed of:
• Mr. Stephan Schmekel, Vice President, Sales, North America
• Mr. Pierre Dolbec, Vice President, Commodity Sales and Supply
• Mr. Steve Appel, Vice-President, Sales
• Mr. Edward Thompson, Sales Manager, Canada
• Ms. Annie Lécuyer, Account Manager and Business Development
• Ms. Séverine Nault, Account Manager and Business Development
This Vegpro team is passionate about produce and will strive to provide its customers with an intimate knowledge of the category, products and strategic approaches to foresee growth opportunities. The team is committed to ensure the highest standards in the quality of its products and services on a daily basis.
Mr. Stephan Schmekel joined Vegpro International Inc. as of January 9th, bringing in a strong background to the strategic Sales Team in place. Mr. Schmekel’s passion for the produce industry has been vibrant for nearly 30 years. Recently, he was a member of the Del Monte Fresh Produce Team (Canada) for the past 18 years, where he recently acted as Vice President of Sales in Canada. Prior to that, he worked for more than 7 years at Dole as Regional Sales Manager. Recently, Mr. Schmekel was appointed to the position of Chairman of the Board for the year 2015-2016 at the Quebec Association of Fruit and Vegetable Distribution (AQDFL) for which he was actively involved as Director on the Board of Directors since 2007. He is also on the board of the CPMA since 2011.
Since early 2016, Mr. Luc Prévost joined Vegpro International Inc. from Les Industries Lassonde where he was Vice President Marketing and then Vice President Trade. As a member of the Executive Team of Vegpro, Mr. Prévost is responsible for leading Vegpro’s sales and marketing efforts. His extensive experience in sales and marketing in both the retail and agri-food sectors makes him a major asset in the development of Vegpro and its Fresh Attitude brand. As per Mr. Van Winden: “Many of our customers are already benefiting from Luc's contribution and from his experience acquired with flagship consumer products companies.”
This past year, Vegpro also announced the appointment of Mr. Edward Thompson to the new critical role of Sales Director, Canada, with a primary mandate to build and maintain relationships and support business development with his customers in Ontario and in the Maritimes. Mr. Van Winden declared: “Edward provides a local presence in Ontario and strengthens our commitment to proximity in this important growing market for Vegpro.” With experience acquired from working with leading consumer product goods companies such as Campbell, Mr. Thompson brings a sophisticated approach to assist his customers in the fresh cut salads category.
Finally, Vegpro is pleased to count on two pillars of the produce industry that have been in operation for years: Mr. Pierre Dolbec and Mr. Steve Appell. Mr. Dolbec has a remarkable expertise in produce sector and has been recognized by clients in his field for nearly 30 years. As for Mr. Appell, he is based in the United States and stands out for his ability to build and maintain loyal and trusted business relationships with US partners. Highly respected by their peers and clients, these two veterans contribute greatly to the integration of newcomers into the strategic Sales Team and ensure that Vegpro International Inc. has the best sales team in the industry.
About Vegpro International Inc.
For nearly 20 years, Vegpro International Inc. has been the leading producer of fresh vegetables in Canada and is known for its Fresh Attitude brand. Specialized in the production and packaging of young lettuce sprouts and vegetables, it also markets a wide range of vegetables grown on its own fields. Thanks to its fields in Quebec and Florida, it provides its customers with optimum quality products throughout the year. Its mission is to be the recognized leader in innovation in agricultural production and packaging of salad and vegetables to supply its customers on the East Coast of North America year-round. For more information, please visit vegpro.com or attitudefraiche.com.
Source: Vegpro International Inc.
