Seattle-based wholesaler/distributor Charlie’s Produce has promoted Doug Huttenstine from general manager of its Portland, Ore., office to executive vice president of sales at its Seattle base.
Huttenstine, who took up the newly created position in June, has been with the company for five years, including an earlier stint in Seattle.
Huttenstine, who has 31 years in the produce business, has responsibility over a sales staff of five in the retail and foodservice categories and also supervises the company’s satellite offices in Portland; Spokane, Wash.; and Anchorage, Ala.
Jeremy Smith, who had been sales manager in Portland, moved up to Huttenstine’s former job as general manager there.
Huttenstine, for the present, also is in charge of Charlie’s Produce’s processing operation in Kent, Wash., where the company in January 2011 had acquired Kent-based Real Foods. Charlie’s combined its ST Produce fresh-cut processing operation with Real Foods and moved both into a new location in Kent.
Real Foods focuses on producing prepared entrees, sauces and dips for retail delicatessens, Huttenstine said.
“They do prepared meals and dips and sauces, and ST does a cut fruit-and-veggie and salad program,” he said.
On March 25, the entire ST processing facility moved into a retrofitted newer building into which Real Foods had moved in October 2011, Huttenstine said.
“I think, like any merger like that, it’s not without its challenges, but I think operations did a fabulous job,” he said. “It was monumental what they did over a weekend, moving out there into the Real Foods building.”
About 200 people work out in the combined operation — all from ST and Real Foods, Huttenstine said.
The new location is 92,000 square feet. The operation distributes product in Washington, Oregon and Canada, Huttenstine said.
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