Lipman Family Farms announces leadership succession plan

Longtime Lipman Family Farms CEO Ken Shoemaker will retire in 2023, and the Immokalee, Fla.-based company has announced its transition and succession plan as the company searches for a new CEO.

Shoemaker has been with the company for 13 years.

“On behalf of Lipman’s Board of Directors, leadership team and employees, we want to thank Kent for his years of dedication, impact, and service to the company,” said Larry Lipman, chairman of the board, said in a news release. “Kent has led the company through a phase of accelerated growth, solidifying its role as an international leader in tomato and vegetable production. As CEO, he has spearheaded significant achievements across our business, including eight strategic acquisitions.” 

The company’s succession committee will work with Korn Ferry, a global management consulting firm, to identify a successor, according to the release. Kent Shoemaker will continue to lead the company during this process, the company said.

“It has been my honor to lead Lipman Family Farms and a pleasure to work with some of the most exceptional people in our industry,” Shoemaker said in the release. “We have a solid leadership team in place, and I am confident that they will work with the next CEO to uphold Lipman’s values and trajectory of growth and expansion. This process started last July as part of a two-year succession plan. It will be seamless.”