BrightFarms hires VP of sales

New York City-based BrightFarms has hired Dean Martel as vice president of sales.

Martel comes from food technology company It’s Fresh! He previously worked for 16 years at Fresh Express, subsidiary of Chiquita that specializes in bagged salads.

At BrightFarms, Martel will be responsible for developing partnerships with supermarkets and for sales and account management, according to a news release.

The company plans to soon enter a period of dramatic growth, aiming to increase from three greenhouses to more than a dozen in the next three years.

“We are on a fast-track to becoming the country’s first national brand of local produce,” BrightFarms CEO Paul Lightfoot said in the release. “Dean’s background leading high-profile teams and growth initiatives within the category adds immeasurable value to our team. We’re entering a period of serious growth as we look to bring fresh, local produce to more grocery store shelves.”

With that hire, Abby Prior moves into the newly created position of vice president of marketing. Prior had previously been vice president of business development.