Hazel Tech announces Tommy Caruana as director of retail business development

Hazel Tech welcomes, Tommy Caruana as director of retail business development, produce leader with over 10 years of retail experience.

Hazel
Hazel
(Hazel Technologies, Inc. )

CHICAGO, IL (April 30, 2021) – Hazel Technologies Inc., a USDA-supported technology company delivering new solutions for fresh produce to extend shelf-life, increase sales, and combat food waste, announces Tommy Caruana has joined the company as Director of Business Development - Retail.

With over 10 years of experience in the perishable retail sector, Caruana’s expertise ranges from procurement and category management to merchandising and marketing analytics. Most recently Caruana served as Procurement Manager of Produce & Floral at Wakefern Food Corp. During his time at Wakefern, Caruana held progressive responsibilities leading diverse teams and overseeing $1B+ of produce procurement for six banners across the Northeast. In addition, he built retail programs to drive top line sales and worked closely with quality assurance teams to ensure the highest standards and best practices.

As Hazel’s Director of Business Development - Retail, Caruana will manage the company’s business development strategy and implementation for retail accounts. He will report directly to VP of Marketing Kellen Stailey Martin and will direct the go-to-market strategy for the retail sector and help reduce food waste throughout the retail supply chain.

“My passion for many years has been reducing food waste and bringing the freshest food to retail shelves. I am excited to join the extremely talented and growing team at Hazel Technologies and focus on my passion every day,” commented Caruana.

“As Hazel Tech’s impact in reducing global food waste continues to grow, I look forward to the Business Development Team exploring new opportunities with growers and retail partners,” said Kellen Stailey Martin, VP of Marketing at Hazel Technologies, Inc. “Tommy’s deep retail and analytical experience will help us leverage data and insights to drive strategic decisions and deliver value across the supply-chain.”

The Packer logo (567x120)
Related Stories
As labor unions and lawmakers push to restrict electronic shelf labels over fears of worker displacement and AI-driven surge pricing, retail advocates are defending the technology before Congress as a necessary operational upgrade that improves price accuracy and streamlines store management.
The former head of Kopke Fruit transformed North American grocery shelves by pioneering counter-seasonal supply chains and establishing the Delaware River ports as the premier hub for South American produce.
The executive assumed the role in July, leading a new phase for the trade association’s U.S. commercial office focused on advancing institutional relations and promotional work for Chilean fruit.
Read Next
New data show the cyclospora outbreak is driving a widespread pullback across the fresh produce aisle — even for non-recalled categories — triggering the sharpest single-month retail lettuce price drop in BLS history.
Get Daily News
GET MARKET ALERTS
Get News & Markets App