Chep Enhances Produce Initiatives With Industry Veteran
7 February 1999
Chep Enhances Produce Initiatives With Industry Veteran, Targeted Resources
ORLANDO, Fla.--Feb. 7, 1999--Bob Spence Joins Chep as General Manager of Produce
To enhance focus on Retail for Chep RPC Pool
Bob Spence, who has spent the last 25 years in the produce and grocery industries, has been named Vice President, Produce of Chep USA. Spence reports to Bob Jantzen, President and Chief Operating Officer of Chep Americas.
In conjunction with the management change, Chep is focusing resources to better service produce retailers, grower/shippers and wholesalers, to help them understand the system-wide solutions that Chep's plastic container pooling and pallet pool systems provide the industry.
"Reduced supply chain costs and improved quality with an environment-friendly system are just the top line benefits of the Chep solution," said Jantzen. "We believe that the greatest success will come out of better communications with the industry partners and working with them on continuous improvement of our system. Our entire organization is committed to this effort."
Spence served most recently as Vice President, Western Business Unit at Chiquita Brands N.A., Cincinnati. He previously held senior management positions at Chun King, Uncle Ben's and General Foods. He holds BS in Marketing from Our Lady of the Lake University. His responsibilities at Chep include overall leadership of the produce sector in North America. He will be based in Costa Mesa, CA.
"It is an exciting opportunity to be on the ground floor of a system that will tear down the old paradigms of the produce industry. My experience on the grower/shipper and retail sides of the business will help facilitate the transition that will take place," said Spence. "My intent is to help our customers take a total system approach using the Chep solution to reduce costs, improve product quality and benefit the environment."
Assisting Spence with sales management for the sector is James A. Vangelos, who has been promoted to National Sales Director, Produce. Prior to joining Chep in 1997 as a sales director, Vangelos served as head of sales at the Hansen Beverage Company. He previously held management assignments at Del Monte Inc., Perrier and Ocean Spray, all of which are Chep customers. He earned his BS in Soils and Crop Science from California Polytechnic State University at San Louis Obispo and his MBA from Willamette University.
"The new leadership at Chep and our new direction for the produce sector are very exciting developments, and I'm confident they will lead to a new series of cost effective practices for the produce industry," said Jantzen.
Chep Americas is an international pallet and container pooling company servicing manufacturers and distributors in the consumer goods industries; grower/shippers and receivers in the produce industry; packers, processors and distributors in the meat industry; home improvement, hardware & housewares manufacturers and distributors and suppliers and assembly plants in the automotive industry. Chep Americas' service spans the US, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Brazil, supplying customers with high quality pallets and reusable containers from a comprehensive depot network. The company is part of the worldwide Chep organization, which operates in 29 countries on six continents and controls more than 94 million pallets and containers. Chep Americas' operating principles, service organization and computer tracking systems give participants a simple solution and improved efficiency in product delivery. Additional information on Chep is available at www.us.chep.com.