KESI Management, a company that specializes in providing comprehensive and tailored full-service solutions to the food and beverage industry, has joined FreshEdge.
Founded in 2018 by Austin Kirtley and Mehrdad Erfan, KESI Management’s solutions cover a range of areas, including operations, management, logistics, finance and more, addressing various touch points and levels within the industry, according to a news release.
FreshEdge and KESI Management have been collaborating over the last four years, the release said, with KESI’s team of industry experts helping to identify, implement and sustain operational, supply chain and engineering initiatives across multiple FreshEdge companies.
Austin Kirtley will be the executive vice president of business performance. His focus will be working closely with FreshEdge’s operating company leaders and management teams to ensure the continued success of each company while continually maintaining the values of FreshEdge and the uniqueness of each company within, the release said.
Related: Produce distribution company joins FreshEdge
“Over the last four years, we have had the opportunity to witness the culture, growth, and leadership at FreshEdge and their family of companies, and we knew that it would be a great fit when Greg and Steve asked us to be a part of that,” Kirtley said in the release. “With KESI Management’s experience in the industry and familiarity with the FreshEdge team, we knew it would be a great opportunity for our teams to collaborate even more to see FreshEdge meet and surpass their goals into the future.”
Mehrdad Erfan will be the executive vice president of operations, logistics and engineering, where he will work in collaboration with his team to continually support the entire FreshEdge platform by ensuring the growth and sustainability, according to the release.
“Over the years, we have continued to work with top-tier companies to continue to push the produce industry in the direction of change, innovation, and sustainability, and we believe that together with the direction and support of the entire FreshEdge team and family of companies, we will be able to continue to build towards those goals,” Erfan said in a news release.
Along with Erfan and Kirtley, Dustin Varvil, another partner in KESI Management, and both Amanda Spencer and Anthony Mitchell will be joining the FreshEdge team, the release said.
Related: FreshEdge hires Larry Brown as chief strategy officer
“We are thrilled to have the outstanding members of KESI join FreshEdge,” Greg Corsaro, president of FreshEdge, said in the release. “Their addition to our team enhances our culture and customer-obsessed pursuit of driving success for our customers.”
“We welcome the KESI team to the FreshEdge family of best-in-class companies,” Steve Grinstead, CEO of FreshEdge, said in a news release. “They have awesome experience and passion that fits perfectly with our focus on continuous improvement and desire to be the best at everything we do.”
