Don Bachouros, left, and Matthew Gillespie join Oregon Cherry Growers.
In an effort to increase company growth, the Oregon Cherry Growers cooperative announced the hiring of two new managers focusing in marketing and sales in December. Don Bachouros will be the National Sales Manager covering ingredients and Matthew Gillespie will fill a new position as Director of Marketing.
In a statement from the group, President and CEO Tim Ramsey said, “With the dynamic environment of the fruit ingredient industry, it is important we continue to grow our team to meet our customers’ needs and expectations, including educating our customers about the breadth of products Oregon Cherry Growers produces.”
Read the announcement below
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Oregon Cherry Growers Expands Sales and Marketing Arm of Management Team to Help Drive Company Growth
Grower-owned cooperative Oregon Cherry Growers, the largest producer of sweet dark cherries in the world, has added two sales and marketing heavy-hitters to its management roster to help drive company sales both nationally and internationally. The new team members, Matthew Gillespie and Don Bachouros, were selected for their strong backgrounds in the food industry and strength in growing brands.
“With the dynamic environment of the fruit ingredient industry, it is important we continue to grow our team to meet our customers’ needs and expectations, including educating our customers about the breadth of products Oregon Cherry Growers produces,” says Tim Ramsey, Oregon Cherry Growers President and CEO. “Matthew and Don bring strong expertise in the areas where we are expanding. They are hitting the ground running and we expect 2015 to be a big year for the company as a result.”
Matthew Gillespie joins Oregon Cherry Growers in the newly created Director of Marketing position, and will lead marketing and new product development for the company. With more than ten years’ experience in sales and marketing at high-quality foods manufacturers and distributors, Gillespie’s expertise will be a valuable asset as Oregon Cherry Growers expands product offering and reach into the natural foods market. His background includes brand management, sales planning and support, new product development, marketing research and communications for companies like Moonstruck Chocolate, CedarLane Natural Foods, Barbara’s Bakery and Amy’s Kitchen.
Don Bachouros joins Oregon Cherry Growers as National Sales Manager, Ingredients. He will focus on business development in the bakery business, and lead national sales and development. Bachouros has extensive experience spearheading sales strategy and execution, including planning and analysis, product launches, market entry and expansion. He brings more than a decade of experience in sales management in the food and ingredient manufacturing industry. His background includes sales and account management positions with Taura Natural Ingredients, Fuchs, The Kerry Group, Farbest-Tallman Foods, and Crompton and Knowles.
About Oregon Cherry Growers
Founded in 1932, Oregon Cherry Growers is a grower-owned cooperative made up of nearly 80 family farmers on 40,000 acres of land in the Willamette Valley and along the Columbia River Gorge, who take great pride in producing the highest quality fruit. The cooperative is the largest producer and processor of sweet cherries in the world, delivering maraschino, fresh, frozen, glacé, dried and canned cherries, as well as blueberries and strawberries, to global retail and foodservice markets. For more information, please visit: www.orcherry.com.
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