Rivermaid Trading Co. has named Dave Parker marketing advisor and Brad Gostanian and Mike Isola salesmen to back a line of tree fruits that’s expanded since the Lodi, Calif.-based grower-shipper acquired Wespak Sales last year.
Dave Parker was director of marketing at Scattaglia Growers & Shippers LLC, Traver, Calif., since 2007. He and Gostanian, who spent the last 11 years in sales at Cutler-based Wawona Packing Co., started at Rivermaid Feb. 1. Isola, who started in December, came from Stockton-based Grower Direct where he worked in sales for eight years.
All three are new positions at Rivermaid Trading.
“This is about filling out the stone fruit category,” Parker said. “The merger creates a broader offering from the beginning of the deal to the end that’s a perfect fit for Rivermaid given their pear and cherry base. Wespak and the Enns family give us a solid position in the stone fruit category in peaches, plums and nectarines.”
Wespak also produces cherries and apricots, Parker said.
“It was an opportunity to come and work with a company that’s going to have a full line of tree fruit to go along with the cherries,” Isola said.
With the addition of Wespak, Rivermaid’s owned and represented fruit sales volume exceeds $100 million, including pears, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, apples, table grapes and kiwis.
Parker Prior to joining Scattaglia, Parker was director of Marketing at Dinuba, Calif.-based Fruit Patch Sales Co. He was director of merchandising for the California Tree Fruit Agreement from 1988 to 2003.
“My wife and I moved down to stone fruit country 16 years ago when CTFA moved there,” Parker said. “This move makes it possible to come back north closer to family, even though I’m advising primarily in the stone fruit arena. The Rivermaid culture is a perfect fit for my wife and me at this stage in my career.”
Earlier in his career, Parker was packing house manager and Northern California regional manager for Blue Anchor Inc., Loomis, Calif., where he spent 13 years.
Other industry roles included a one-year stint as chairman of the Produce for Better Health Foundation in 2005 and 2006. Parker was a founding member of the California 5 a Day steering committee and served as its chairman for nine years.
Scattaglia Growers & Shippers is weighing options for a successor, said managing partner Louis Scattaglia.
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