Greenhouse grower Nature Fresh Farms has tapped Patrick Criteser, former president and CEO of the Tillamook County Creamery Association, to be its next CEO.
Starting Dec. 2, Criteser will take on the CEO role from Nature Fresh Farms’ founder and owner Peter Quiring, who will become executive chairman of the board, according to a news release. The company said John Ketler will remain president and continue to play a critical leadership role, adding that Criteser will help lead the company on its continual expansion.
“We initiated a search for a new CEO because we saw the need to bring in a top-notch executive with extensive experience growing billion-dollar companies to lead our growth,” Ketler said in a news release. “Patrick is the ideal person to take on this role, and I’m excited to work with him to cultivate our business, our people and our vision for doing good with good food.”
Nature Fresh Farms says Criteser has more than 30 years of leadership experience, with a track record of leading growth and positive transformation at companies large and small. In his 12 years at Tillamook, he increased revenue by more than 250%, the release said.
Prior to joining Tillamook, he spent eight years as president and CEO at Coffee Bean International and one year as co-CEO of Farmer Brothers. Criteser also held management and strategic development roles at Nike, The Walt Disney Co. and Procter & Gamble.
“Patrick is exactly who we need right now to navigate this period of tremendous growth,” Quiring said in the release. “He shares our entrepreneurial drive to develop new varieties that are more nutritious and more delicious, while investing in the people who make it possible. His strategic thinking and deep business experience will help inspire a new generation of sustainability and innovation.”
Quiring, a mechanical engineer, started at Nature Fresh Farms in 1999 with a vision to pack as much flavor and nutrition as possible into each tomato and grow sustainably, according to the release. The company said Quiring designed and built his first state-of-the-art greenhouse farm intending to sell it, but farmers didn’t buy into the new technology right away, so he decided to keep it and run it himself. The company says it now operates and markets 2,500 acres of greenhouses with sustainable technology across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
“I’m eager to start helping Nature Fresh Farms bring even more innovative, healthy, flavorful produce to tables in a sustainable way,” Criteser said. “I’m looking forward to working with Peter, John and the entire team to ensure the company’s long-term success while creating a fulfilling and enriching work experience for all Nature Fresh Farms team members.”
