Packer Fresh Take: Danelle Huber of CMI Orchards
Welcome to The Packer’s Fresh Take, a column featuring advice and inspiration from leaders and innovators in the produce industry, in their own words.
Danelle Huber, marketing specialist for CMI Orchards, tells us about her roots, her most memorable project and about the best concert she’s ever attended.
Tell us about your roots.
Growing up in the Wenatchee Valley in Washington, I always worked sorting cherries during my summers as a kid. My mom worked in our industry for over 20 years. I was in my 5th year working as a paralegal at a local law firm and working for an attorney who specialized in copyright infringement and trademark law and in 2007, when an opening at the Washington Apple Commission caught my eye. I was initially hired to help protect the Washington Apple logo from copyright infringement overseas. From there, I transitioned over to the export marketing coordinator position and then ultimately had the opportunity to help manage the SE Asian region for all Washington Apple export marketing activities.
Hit us with your best advice.
CMI’s president, Bob Mast, is credited for giving me the best advice to date: “There is always room for improvement. We can always do better. Celebrate your achievements and get back to it.” I think this resonates so well with me because of my competitive background and nature. One of my favorite quotes by Pat Riley is, “Complacency is the last hurdle standing between any team and its potential greatness.”
I’m proud of how CMI is constantly strategizing how to help our customers and partners succeed. There is something about raising the bar and being that “teammate” whose job is to set others up for success. CMI has that culture and mentality, and being a part of that is nothing short of awesome.
What opportunity should the industry take advantage of?
I love how our industry is ever-changing and how new technology can help us reach out to our everyday consumers more easily. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) allow brands to directly communicate with consumers to boost sales and educate. From programmatic advertising, chatbots, email personalization, to interactive content, AI is a huge part of the marketing efforts of many global industries and companies already. It will be exciting to see this trend hit our industry.
What's your most memorable project?
This is a tough one to answer as I have a few! On a project level, I very much enjoyed being an intricate part of the collaboration and effort of the Washington Apple industry getting through one of the most difficult seasons to date due to a listeria outbreak, by no fault of our own. The communication, education and collaborative efforts by the WSDA, USDA, FDA and our entire Washington apple industry was so amazing. We may be competitors on a day-to-day basis, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty, our Washington growers and shippers really pulled together as one.
My favorite launch, hands down, has been our CMI Flavogram. Working with our retailers to help educate consumers on taste preferences in a sea of choices is pretty cool! Having a visual way to describe how an apple tastes for both in-store and online shoppers is such an awesome concept. Taking a nod from the wine industry and learning how complex, or not, the flavor of an apple can be and helping consumers try new varieties has been an absolute blast.
What's your favorite trade show memory?
I will never forget my first visit to Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Germany. The size of that show and seeing the produce industry on a worldwide stage was unlike anything I’ve ever seen or experienced before. I will never forget walking through, hall after hall, seeing all the other countries and products. It absolutely blew my mind.
What keeps you cool as a cucumber?
I always enjoy a good hike! We have the pleasure of living at the foot of the Cascade Mountain range and there are so many beautiful, quiet and serene places to explore. There are also some amazing wineries in our area so sitting on the porch with my husband and a glass of wine while taking in our view is always a fantastic way to end the day.
What’s on the menu?
Right now, my favorite is cauliflower! I put a little EVOO, salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika and cook it in the air fryer. I snack on it like popcorn. It’s so good!
What new hobby did you ‘binge’ over the pandemic?
I feel a little lame, but I’m not a huge “binge” type of person. Over the pandemic, I worked with a personal trainer and learned a ton about nutrition and the benefits of adding strength training to my daily exercise routine. I’ve always been a self-proclaimed “cardio junkie” and learning the benefits of adding weights and eating differently has changed me for life! So I guess I binged a bit on educating myself on that.
What's the best concert you ever attended?
Oh man, I love such a wide array of music! I think the one I appreciated the most was Coldplay. The complexity and talent of the entire band isn’t lost on me. I love how in-depth and rich their music is. The Gorge Amphitheatre here in Washington, is one of the best concert venues in the U.S. and watching Coldplay perform as the sun went down was the absolute best!
