Santa Paula, Calif.-based Calavo Growers has appointed Brian Kocher as president and CEO, the company announced Dec. 22 in a news release.
Kocher’s appointment will become effective Feb. 1, 2022, the release said.
“After conducting a thorough search, including interviews with several well-qualified candidates, Brian Kocher was the clear choice of our board of directors to become the next president and CEO of Calavo Growers,” J. Link Leavens, chairman of Calavo, said in the release. “Brian’s deep knowledge, expertise and operational leadership in the fresh produce industry as a CEO, (chief operating officer) and (chief financial officer) make him uniquely qualified to lead Calavo forward and position our company for growth. We are delighted to welcome Brian to our talented team.”
Since 2015, Kocher has been president and CEO of the Castellini Group of Companies.
In 2017, The Packer named Kocher its Produce Man of the Year. Before working at Castellini, Kocher spent 10 years at Chiquita in positions that included interim CEO and chief operating officer.
Calavo Growers also announced 17% growth in total revenue in the fourth quarter, ending Oct. 31, compared with a year ago. Gross profit dropped to 3.3% of revenue compared to 9% of revenue for the fourth quarter last year, and much of the drop reflects inflationary pressures on labor, raw materials and freight, as well as volume declines in the fresh segment, the news release said.
