Longtime Trader Joe’s exec to keynote United Fresh

Former Trader Joe’s president Doug Rauch will deliver the keynote address at the joint opening session of the United Fresh Produce Association FreshMKT and FreshTEC expos and the co-located International Floriculture Expo and Global Cold Chain Expo.

The session, which precedes the opening of the show floor at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 14.

Rauch worked at Trader Joe’s for 31 years, including 14 years as president before he retired from the company in 2008, according to a news release. He is also the founder and president of Daily Table, a not-for-profit retail store that focuses on affordable food.

Rauch spearheaded the Trader Joe’s buying and private-label programs and developed the business plan that allowed the company to expand to more than 340 stores.

“Trader Joe’s national popularity with consumers is thanks in large part to the innovative mind of Doug Rauch,” United Fresh president and CEO Tom Stenzel said in the release. “He was able to scale a brand in a competitive marketplace and created a unique and self-sustaining culture of innovation. With three decades of retail experience and a conscious-driven new venture, Doug will inspire us all across supply chains.”