Steve Taylor, bagged salad pioneer, dies at 67

Salinas, Calif., value-added produce innovator Steve Taylor, 67, died Aug. 21 from heart and lung failure, according to an obituary.

Taylor is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kate, as well as their three children and spouses, and nine grandchildren, according to the obituary.

In addition, he is survived by his mother, Joanne Taylor, his brother, Bruce Taylor, and his sister, Carrie Taylor. His brother, Jeff Taylor, died in late 2020, according to a report in The  Monterey Herald; his father, Ted Taylor, died in 1991.

“Steve was best known for his love of Jesus, sense of humor to bring levity to any situation, service to the church, and passion for preserving and transforming American culture for future generations,” the obituary said. 

Taylor earned his undergraduate degree in psychology in 1977 from the University of California, Berkeley. Later, in 1985, he graduated from Harvard Business School with a Master of Business Administration. 

During his career, Steve Taylor had been the CEO of Fresh Express and the co-Founder of Organic Girl.

In 1993, Taylor and his brother, Bruce, were The Packer’s co-recipients of the Produce Marketer of the Year award.

As the first award co-recipients, Bruce, then-president and chairman of Fresh Express Inc., and Steve, then-president of Fresh Express Retail Marketing, were credited with instilling quality and consistency into the fresh-cut industry, based on the premise that people will pay a premium for convenience.

The honor was given Oct. 25, 1993, at a Produce Marketing Association convention. Bruce left Fresh Express in 1994 and founded Taylor Fresh Foods in 1995.

"My biggest accomplishment was to fulfill my dad's vision to transform from a commodity-oriented business to a value-added company," Steve told the Packer in 2003. “We've built something exciting, and we did it because we have a lot of good, talented people here."

Tim York, CEO of California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, praised Taylor for both his industry contributions and personal character.

“Much has and will be written about Steve’s impact on the salad category, and his work to build Fresh Express into a category leader, and deservedly so," York said. "But the biggest impact and legacy Steve leaves behind is an exemplary life. Steve was a strong Christian and he shared his faith, not only through his words, but his actions. Personal mentoring, Bible studies at work and demonstrating what a great husband and father looks like. His friendship, his shepherding of me his encouragement and love changed my life, and that of countless others. I know that is what was far more important to Steve — helping others to walk in their faith and lead the life of integrity that he did. He is a loss to the industry, but an even bigger loss to those lives he helped shape.”

Bruce Peterson, produce executive for Walmart from 1991 to 2008 and now-president of consulting firm Peterson Insights Inc., said he worked with Taylor at Fresh Express.

"He was as fine a human being as God has ever put on this earth," Peterson said. "An absolute gold standard of integrity and commitment to his faith. I heard this at a different funeral once, but I think it could be said of Steve Taylor, as well: Steve did not tell us how to live, he just lived, and invited us to watch. Rest in peace, Steve Taylor. You definitely made your mark on us."

Here is a timeline published by The Packer in 2005 about some of the Taylor family history at Fresh Express.

• 1973 — Ted Taylor, father of Steve and Bruce Taylor, creates Fresh International as a holding company for family-owned Bruce Church Inc. and TransFresh Inc., both of Salinas.
• 1978 — Ted Taylor starts Red Coach Foods, Salinas, Calif., which would eventually become Fresh Express.
• 1981 — Bruce Taylor joins Fresh International.
• 1986 — Red Coach changes to FreshCo Inc.
• 1987 — Steve Taylor joins Fresh International.
• August 1987 — FreshCo Inc., a Salinas, Calif.-based, precut vegetable supplier, opens regional subsidiaries in Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio, under the name Fresh Express.
• July 1991 — Ted Taylor, chief executive officer of Fresh International Corp. dies at age 59.
• March 1992 — FreshCo Inc. buys Dallas processor Hyatt Pre Pak Inc. from Fresh Choice Produce Inc., renaming it Fresh Express Dallas Inc.
• July 1992 — FreshCo Inc. changes name to Fresh Express Inc.
• October 1992 — Fresh Express Inc. opens Fresh Express Mid-Atlantic in Greencastle, Pa.
• January 1993 — Fresh Express moves away from bulk leaf and romaine lettuces to more fresh cut, eventually adding retail spinach, carrot and celery packs.
• September 1993 — Fresh Express makes Chicago its fifth regional processing site after buying Vegease Inc.
• October 1993 —  Steve Taylor and his brother, Bruce Taylor, were The Packer’s co-recipients of the Produce Marketer of the Year award.
• December 1993 — Fresh Express buys a former Nestle chocolate plant in Salinas to convert to fresh-cut processing.
• August 1994 — A rift over management style and the future of the parent company's vegetable-growing operation leads Bruce Taylor to resign as co-chairman and co-chief operating officer of Fresh International Corp., the parent of Fresh Express. Brother Steve Taylor takes over.
• 1995 — Bruce Taylor and several partners found Taylor Fresh Foods.
• October 1996 — Fresh Express introduces Ready-to-Go Entree Salads with meat.
• October 2001 — Performance Food Group, Richmond, Va., finalizes acquisition of Fresh Express for $302 million. Performance finances purchase by offering 5.7 million shares at $26.36 each.
• September 2002 — Fresh Express makes foray into fresh-cut fruit with Real! Fresh! Fruit! Line.
•  September 2003 — Steve Taylor, former chief executive officer of Fresh Express, announces retirement, alluding to running for Congress in 2006 or 2008.
• September 2004 — Performance hires an investment banker to look into selling Fresh Express.
• February 2005 — Chiquita Brands International Inc., Cincinnati, buys Fresh Express from Performance for $855 million in cash.