New York City-based vertical grower Bowery Farming has hired Robert Ybarra as director of business development. Among other roles and companies, Ybarra has more than 30 years of experience at H-E-B, the grocery retailer headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
He will report to Elayne Dudley, vice president of new business development, according to a news release.
Ybarra has food and produce industry experience in retail, manufacturing, procurement and distribution. At Bowery, Ybarra will develop new grocery retailer relationships.
At H-E-B, Ybarra was director of produce sales and merchandising. Most recently, he was director of business development at Villita Avocados, a Mexican avocado importer, where he spearheaded new business opportunities with big-box retailers. Beforehand, he was director of produce at Rouses Inc. and Coborn’s Inc.
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Ybarra’s leadership has been recognized by The National Grocers Association, and he was selected as a Top 25 Industry leader in The Packer. A Texas native, Ybarra received his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Brownsville.
“It’s been an unprecedented time of growth at Bowery as we’ve launched the next chapter in climate-smart agriculture and broken ground on new farms beyond the Northeast,” Bowery Chief Commercial Officer Katie Seawell said in the release. “As we continue our national expansion, Robert’s role in expanding retail partnerships will further Bowery’s commitment to reimagine the fresh food supply chain and help build resilient communities with local sources of fresh produce.”
This appointment comes at a time of accelerated growth for Bowery. The company is on track to double its number of farms in 2023 and has doubled revenue for the second year in a row. Bowery’s leafy greens are available in more than 1,400 stores and e-commerce partners from Walmart to Whole Foods and Amazon. The company is also expanding its product portfolio beyond leafy greens and into new categories of pesticide-free produce, including strawberries and salad kits.
