Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, a Detroit, Mich.-based wholesale distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables, announced April 23 it had expanded its sales team as the company scales into new and exciting territories. The company caters to local and national grocery retailers and food services group customers across the Midwest and Canada and is currently expanding its operations to large metropolitan areas between Toronto and Atlanta, and east to North Carolina, where the company has existing footholds, it said.
To aid in these efforts, the company recently onboarded three new hires:
- Josh Harrison, sales merchandiser
- Scott Bagan, director of foodservice sales
- Paul Suttmiller, national account manager
“We’re focused on growth, and the only way to do that without sacrificing the standards we’re known for is to expand our team with sharp, motivated people who are full of fresh ideas and dedicated to exceptional customer service,” Jordan Grainger, vice president of sales at Ben B. Schwartz & Sons, said in a news release.
Josh Harrison
As the newest member of the sales team, Harrison brings a wealth of experience over his 20-year career in sales positions within the fresh produce industry, the company said. Harrison has mastered all facets of the sales relationship, including spearheading community efforts, identifying and executing marketing initiatives and working across customers, vendors and merchants to maximize the full growth potential of a business.
In his career, Harrison has successfully introduced and scaled new product lines, built high-functioning sales and marketing teams and implemented solutions that improve delivery and the client experience. In his previous position as director of operations at Grow the Produce Shop, he launched the organization’s second market location, which out-performed the original location in sales by the second year — overall nearly doubling companywide sales in just two years.
In his new role as sales merchandiser, Harrison will lead the lime division, focusing on establishing new grower relationships and product offerings.
Scott Bagan
Bagan has over 10 years working in the fresh produce industry leading business development efforts for a number of organizations, coming to Ben B. Schwartz & Sons from his role as business development manager at Anthony Marano & Company.
Bagan has conducted high-impact sales efforts in the Midwest region for years and in his new role will focus on business development for the company’s foodservice business.
Paul Suttmiller
Suttmiller has over 15 years of experience straddling duties across both selling and purchasing. In that time, he fostered strong relationships with stakeholders across the supply chain, making him an agile addition to the Ben B. Schwartz & Sons team.
As a national account manager, Suttmiller will help lead business development efforts on behalf of the company’s wholesale division focusing on distributors and regional retailers.
“These new additions deliver on our history of rooting ourselves in relationships and being the trusted partner our customers have come to expect,” Grainger said. “We’ve implemented new technology and protocols that make it easier for us to get to customers faster, farther away while still providing best-in-class products, and combined with our dedicated staff, we’ll be able to scale our business faster than ever before.”
