Max Yeater joins Pacific International Marketing

Max Yeater, who spent the past 25 years at Pro*Act, is director of strategy at Pacific International Marketing, a new position at the Salinas, Calif., company.

Yeater joined Pro*Act as vice president of procurement. He was promoted to chief operating officer and in 2011 was named president of the company.

Dave Johnson, Pacific International Marketing co-founder and CEO, said in a news release that Yeater’s hiring is part of a new initiative “to get ahead of the changing retail and foodservice landscape for the produce industry.”

“We’ve built a very successful company providing our customers with the highest quality fruits and vegetables, but the ongoing global pandemic has sparked a number of changes in consumer eating habits — not only in what they eat, but how they shop and dine out,” Johnson said in the release. “Max’s role will help to position the company for future growth through product design, technology and innovation.”

While at Pro*Act, Yeater focused on strategic planning and sustainability, and worked with the 50-plus Pro*Act distributors to develop marketing strategy and develop national and regional foodservice business, according to the release.

While there, he created programs to improve safety standards, created an Emerging Leadership Program for employees and the Local Farm Grant Program to improve wholesale readiness, food safety and environmental sustainability to 52 small farms in 18 states, according to the release.

“The idea of creating a new vision for the future and building strategies to help direct Pacific into new ventures is very exciting,” Yeater said in the release. “This is a unique time in our industry. I am truly looking forward to identifying new opportunities and being a part of Pacific’s ascent to the next level.”