VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA — The Packer presented its 2024 Canadian Produce Person of the Year to the recently retired CEO of Star Produce, David Karwacki, during the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Conference and Trade Show, held April 23-25.
Jennifer Strailey, editorial director of The Packer, noted Karwacki’s pioneering spirit and unwavering commitment to the industry as contributing to the sector’s growth and innovation.
“Among his numerous achievements, his efforts in pioneering greenhouse lettuce cultivation and automation stand out, marking a transformative period in the industry,” Strailey said.
Strailey said other standout qualities Karwacki possesses is passion, persistence, teamwork and a dash of Prairie humility.
“Known for nurturing emerging talent, [he] has also been a source of inspiration and guidance for many,” she said.
Karwacki also volunteered with CPMA, supported industry associations, donated several hundred thousand pounds of produce every year to local food banks and nonprofits, and drove sustainability solutions in the produce industry.
He co-founded Star Produce in 1989 and pioneered greenhouse lettuce cultivation and automation and steered the company’s evolution from a field tomato importer to a diverse multicountry enterprise.
When presented with the award, Karwacki was speechless.
“I’m rarely stuck for words, but I was completely surprised by the award,” he told The Packer. “I didn’t know that it was coming. I was really humbled by receiving it and having the acknowledgment of your peers that you’ve done something meaningful in the industry is really really special.”
Karwacki said the award is also an acknowledgment of the hard work the Star Produce team has put in over the last 35 years.
“I have an amazing team and work in an amazing industry,” he said. “It’s fun to be a part of the fresh produce industry. It’s so dynamic and ever-changing and interesting.”
Karwacki said he plans to continue to work in the fresh produce industry, even after retirement, keeping that focus on innovation a pioneering spirit.
“Over the course of 35 years at Star, there’s been a real focus on innovation and whether that was in new products like living lettuce or greenhouse strawberries or bringing new technologies to fresh produce around innovating on plastic or better water management,” he said. “Certainly, those are important to me as I move on in my career I’m really focused on technology and making technology a bigger part of the fresh produce industry. … We’ve got such a wonderful product that it’s healthy and it’s really important to the world and so you know I see that there’s an opportunity to bring technology to the fresh produce because it really helps the entire supply chain well.”
