Avocado company Calavo Growers has announced changes to its Operations department which will be made with the goal of enhancing the company’s organizational structure.

Through these changes, Calavo aims to improve cooperation between departments by working to create a “one-company vision”, with the company and its subsidiary, Renaissance Food Group (RFG), joining forces to optimize and elevate the company’s brand.

“Through the merging of our internal divisions, we are able to leverage the legacy and expertise of the Calavo brand with the innovation and influence of RFG to form one cohesive, industry-leading enterprise,” said Chief Executive Officer Jim Gibson.

“The combined talents of the Calavo and RFG teams will help realize our vision and strengthen the future of our company.”

Among the changes to being made are various appointments and promotions. Cheryl Enlow has been appointed as VP of Food Safety and Quality Assurance, where she will oversee food safety and quality programs for all Calavo business units. These include the company’s avocado and guacamole divisions as well as RFG. 

Additionally, Omar Martinez will lead Calavo’s Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) and Workers Compensation (WC) teams in his new position as VP of Continuous Improvement, a role in which he will also help implement the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. 

Other appointments include Marc Fallini, who has been promoted to VP Fresh Operations and will oversee all fresh avocado operations in the US., and Don Johnson, a longtime industry member, and leader at Renaissance Food Group, who will lead Calavo’s Purchasing and Logistics initiatives. 

“As Calavo seeks to streamline business initiatives under our ‘one-company vision’, one of our core strategies is to continue developing and investing in our people, as well as building a strong, integrated team to support and drive our growth goals,” stated Mark Lodge, Chief Operations Officer.

 “We are committed to becoming the leader in operational excellence, food safety, and quality, and sustainability within the industry; these strategic changes across Calavo Operations support our long-term business objectives for all segments of the business.”

Calavo concluded that it will continue to focus efforts on improving operations while still maintaining the principles and tools that add to the value chain for its customers.