Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt has announced that Brian Evans is now Stemilt’s new senior sales manager for the U.S. and Canada.
Evans has been with Stemilt for 15 years, most recently in the role team leader and sales representative, will be taking on this new role focusing on growing salespeople strengths and giving them the tools they need to succeed, according to a news release.
“This is an exciting progression for Brian and our sales team, as he has led categories like stone fruit for many years while also serving various accounts,” Tate Mathison, Stemilt’s director of sales, said in the release. “He’s proven to be a dedicated leader and we are thrilled to have him step into this leadership role with our domestic sales team.”
Evans started his career in produce at Costco Wholesale the first designated cart pusher at the age of 16, the release said, later working as a cashier and stocker. He worked part time at Costco Wholesale during his college years at the University of Washington, the release said. After graduating in 1989, he became a financial analyst for Costco Fresh Foods.
In 2000, Evans went to work for Douglas Fruit where he was sales manager for four years and lived in a stone fruit orchard which he co-owned with Douglas Fruit, Mike Taylor, Stemilt’s vice president of sales and marketing, said in the release. “He gained a realistic understanding of farming fresh produce and is able to pass along his experience to our sales team.”
In his new role as Stemilt’s domestic sales manager, Evans will focus on growing the strengths of salespeople to drive sales and perform at a level that is consistent with the company’s philosophy of cultivating people and delighting consumers through excellence, the release said.
During his 15 years at Stemilt, the release said Evans has sold 25 million boxes and navigated the sales team as Stemilt’s stone fruit program grew in size and became 100% organic. More recently, he has been a lead on Stemilt’s enterprise-wide software transformation, the release said.
“Evans’s passion for the produce industry is evident in his commitment to cultivating people and delighting consumers through excellence,” Mathison said in the release. “He demonstrates Stemilt’s cultural norms and values on a daily basis and has already been an outstanding Team Leader for our sales team. He is just the Stemilter we need to continue building Stemilt’s World Famous Legacy in sales.”
