Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2024 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. (You can view all honorees here.) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.
Jorge Quintero Jr. — Managing member/founder, Grower Alliance LLC
Jorge Quintero Jr. and business partner Luis Caballero started Grower Alliance LLC in August 2007, recently marking 18 years. Quintero worked for SunFed for four years, along with Caballero, before founding the company.
Born and raised in Salinas, Calif. — also known as “The Salad Bowl of the World” — Quintero graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2002.
His father, Jorge Quintero Sr., who became a partner at Grower Alliance LLC in its second year, had decades of experience in the produce industry in Salinas and in Nogales, Ariz.
“He was essential in getting me into the industry and has been my primary influence as well as guide through the years,” Quintero said of his father.
In writing a “recipe” for success in your role, what do you consider the most important ingredients?
We pride ourselves and our company in having long-lasting relationships that we have built together with our customers — both growers and buyers. We have been able to work together and tackle every situation with honesty as well as with the “big picture” in mind. One transaction is not going to make or break us, so it is imperative that we communicate often to be in agreement.
Another ingredient that has been important is the ability to keep a good, pleasant working environment for our employees. We spend so much time together day in and day out that we aim to have our employees enjoy it to the fullest. There has always been a good vibe here, and we will continue to have it.
A third ingredient for success has been the ability to recognize opportunities that fit with what our methodology is. The careful calculation of when to enter into joint ventures or pass on them has been something that we have been successful with more often than not. Every opportunity is vetted and researched thoroughly before jumping into it. Growth is good, but it’s even better if it’s calculated growth.
What excites you the most about the future of the fresh produce industry and your company?
The future of the fresh produce industry has many exciting things to look forward to. New packs, new varieties, new items and new flavor combinations are all things we have seen recently and will continue to look forward to. There is much anticipation with the coming season as we will be working with retailers to exhibit some of these new packs with our Grower Alliance label. Strawberries and Persian limes are two of the newer items we will be offering, and [we] are eager to see them displayed in supermarkets around the country.
What do you find most rewarding — and most challenging — about the work you do?
The most rewarding thing to me about the work we do is being involved in this prominent industry of bridging fresh produce from farms to consumers. It truly is an essential industry, and we are proud to be one of the companies that makes this happen.
The realization of the millions of people who are all connected by the products we handle is amazing. From harvesters to loaders to truck drivers and produce managers, we are all linked by fresh produce. We are a vital part of the world’s daily heartbeat.
The most challenging thing is of course the fact that we are dealing with nature and perishables — we can have so many things change from one day to the next due to [climate-related] changes. Not to mention the fact that we are in a race against time to move the produce with an adequate amount of time to guarantee freshness. Even still, it is completely satisfying when the sale has been done and you see the item at your local supermarket.
