Salinas, CA – Naturipe Farms has announced the appointment of Janis McIntosh as Director of Marketing Innovation & Sustainability. In her new role, McIntosh will be responsible for overseeing Naturipe’s ongoing and future sustainability initiatives, including their Cultivate with Care™ program, which she helped develop.
A 14-year Naturipe veteran, McIntosh’s expertise in the design and development of innovative and sustainable packaging made her a clear fit to take on this new role.
“Janis’ passion for the environment has always shone through in her work, and after two decades in the fresh berry business, she understands the opportunities to bring innovative solutions that address the needs of our growers, retailers and our consumers,” said Dwight Ferguson, CEO and President of Naturipe Farms.
Under McIntosh’s guidance, Naturipe has received numerous industry awards including the Produce Innovation award from Produce Business and the Joe Nucci Award for Product Innovation at the New York Produce Show and Conference in 2017, and she has led collaborations with top retailers to reduce the use of plastics in food packaging. However, her proudest professional accomplishment was to spearhead an innovative trend in top-seal packaging for blueberries, which is now growing in popularity among retailers.
“To be sustainable you must be dynamic. You have to be willing to try new things and ask the tough questions”, says McIntosh. “The more curious and tenacious we are as an industry, the more likely we are to enact true, lasting change that benefits us all.”
McIntosh has remained curious – studying the latest sustainability trends and receiving certificates in Packaging Management and Packaging Science from Clemson University as well as Completion of Food Packaging Basics from Michigan State University.
In her new role, her initial projects will involve working with a key customer on a waste-reduction study and developing a more robust Cultivate with Care™ sustainability program leveraging the company’s current systems to gather and disseminate information for a digital platform.
“In the months and years to come, we at Naturipe will redouble our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint,” said McIntosh. “I look forward to playing a key role in this continuing evolution.”
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Naturipe Farms is a grower-owned producer and marketer of healthy, best tasting, premium berries and avocados. An industry leader for over 100 years in producing healthy and delicious fruit, and value-added products. The diverse grower base and focus on innovation ensures year-round availability of “locally grown” and “Globally Localä” conventional and organic fruit.
Naturipe is a partnership between highly-esteemed growers, whose fields are spread across the globe. By sharing resources, skills, labor and knowledge, we are better farmers and in turn strengthen the local farm community.