Kingsville, Ontario-based Mucci Farms hired retail supermarket executive Dan Branson in the role of senior director of business and product development. A third generation produce professional, Branson joins Mucci Farms after a notable 15-year stop at Canada’s largest grocery chain, Loblaw Companies Ltd. Starting in procurement and merchandising category management, Branson’s career is highlighted by his role as senior director with the Loblaw Brands team that oversaw branding, innovation, and overall strategy.
Branson is well known in the produce industry as a respected thought leader that places a high degree of emphasis on tackling large scale global initiatives. “When I think about opportunities to address climate change, food security, and local supply, the sky is the limit for the greenhouse industry and Mucci Farms is ideally situated to address these challenges,” said Branson. “My Dad’s business imported gas green tomatoes from Florida and that was all about getting cheap transportable product as opposed to really delivering for consumers on flavour, quality and value. In all the years I have worked with Mucci Farms, their passion for these key measurables is exactly what excites me, and I’m looking forward to taking it even further to meet a variety of needs in the market.”
Much of Branson’s responsibilities will focus on strengthening new and existing partnerships as Mucci Farms enters a significant phase in the lifecycle of the company. “We are just beginning to scratch the surface of tremendous growth across the continent so bringing somebody of Dan’s caliber into the fold gives us unique insight on how to better serve the needs of our retail partners and consumers,” said Danny Mucci, partner and president of sales and marketing. “His involvement and understanding of global issues related to sustainability and social responsibility will also be a great resource for our team as we ramp up our efforts to address modern day issues in the food industry.”
In addition to his insight and experience, a key factor in bringing Branson on board was the strong working relationship and successful partnership forged over several years. “We have known and worked with Dan for nearly two decades and credit the growth of several key items, particularly our award-winning strawberry program, to teams he has led,” said Joe Spano, partner and vice president of sales and marketing. “He has always been a champion of the greenhouse industry and above and beyond his specific duties, his extensive knowledge of so many facets of the produce space will allow him to mentor a variety of different leaders in our company. We’re very excited to have him.”
Dan Branson joins the Mucci Farms team at their head office in Kingsville, Ontario, starting August 16.
