Nature Fresh Farms® announced that Patrick Criteser is joining its executive team as chief executive officer (CEO).
Over the last 25 years, has grown from its beginnings in a single, 18-acre greenhouse. Today, the family-owned company delivers tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and berries year-round from farm to table.
Criteser, the former president and CEO of Tillamook County Creamery Association, will guide Nature Fresh Farms as it expands its team, products, and distribution to meet growing demand for its fresh, Greenhouse Clean™ fruit and vegetables.
The leadership team at Nature Fresh Farms.
"We initiated a search for a new CEO because we saw the need to bring in a top-notch executive with extensive experience growing billion-dollar companies to lead our growth," said John Ketler, president. "Patrick is the ideal person to take on this role, and I'm excited to work with him to cultivate our business, our people, and our vision for doing good with good food."
Criteser has more than 30 years of leadership experience with a track record of leading growth and positive transformation at companies large and small. In his 12 years at Tillamook, he increased revenue by over 250 percent and established the company as one of the leading food brands in the U.S. Before Tillamook, he spent eight years as president and CEO at Coffee Bean International and one year as co-CEO of Farmer Brothers. Criteser also held management and strategic development roles at Nike, The Walt Disney Company, and Procter & Gamble.
Starting Dec. 2, he will take on the CEO role from Nature Fresh Farms' founder and owner, Peter Quiring, who will become executive chairman of the board. Ketler will remain president and continue to play a critical leadership role in charting the path of the company.
"Patrick is who we need right now to navigate this period of tremendous growth," Quiring said. "He shares our entrepreneurial drive to develop new varieties that are more nutritious and delicious while investing in the people who make it possible. His strategic thinking and deep business experience will help inspire a new generation of sustainability and innovation."
Quiring, a mechanical engineer, started Nature Fresh Farms in 1999. He designed and built his first state-of-the-art greenhouse farm, intending to sell it. However farmers didn't buy into the new technology right away, so he kept it and ran it himself. The company now operates and markets 2,500 acres of greenhouses with sustainable technology across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
"I'm eager to start helping the company bring even more innovative, healthy, flavorful produce to tables in a sustainable way," Criteser said. "I look forward to working with the team to ensure the company's long-term success while creating a fulfilling and enriching work experience for all team members."
For more information:
Amanda Armstrong
Nature Fresh Farms
Tel: +1 (519) 326-1111
[email protected]
https://naturefreshfarms.com/