Skip navigation

EXECUTIVE CHANGES

Hodges Retires from Ralphs Postretired recently from his position as group vice president of produce and floral at Ralphs Grocery Co., ending a 28-year career with the retailer, which is now part of The Kroger Co., Cincinnati. He was replaced by Dave Ackerman, who joined Ralphs in 1973 and was most recently director of produce merchandising.During his long career, Hodges has served on the PLU task

Hodges Retires from Ralphs Post

retired recently from his position as group vice president of produce and floral at Ralphs Grocery Co., ending a 28-year career with the retailer, which is now part of The Kroger Co., Cincinnati. He was replaced by Dave Ackerman, who joined Ralphs in 1973 and was most recently director of produce merchandising.

During his long career, Hodges has served on the PLU task force committee of the Produce Electronic Identification Board, Newark, Del.; was a three-term chairman of the Fresh Produce and Floral Council, Buena Park, Calif.; and was actively involved in the Food Industries Circle for City of Hope, an L.A.-based organization that raises money for City of Hope National Medical Center.

Buyproduce.com Names New VPs

IRVINE, Calif. -- Buyproduce.com has added three new vice presidents to their growing staff.

Robert Verloop has been named vice president of marketing and Mike Gillespie has been appointed vice president of food service. Both are new positions, created as the company pursues growth.

Verloop is responsible for development of strategy that will allow Buyproduce.com to improve leadership, customer service, and the capability of delivering solution-focused products and services. He comes to the company from the California Avocado Commission, Santa Ana, Calif., where he was vice president.

Gillespie comes to the company from Grimmway Farms, Bakersfield, Calif., where he was vice president of sales and marketing. In his new position he oversees a core group of field representatives and also works with food-service distributors, processors, terminal market wholesalers and various buying organizations.

The company has also named Mike Alliman to the newly created position of vice president of account development. Alliman brings 11 years of produce experience with him to his new position where he will guide the company's customer service relations and lead a team of more than 50 account development representatives in implementing the various services offered by the e-commerce Web company.

Alliman worked previously with Green Line Products Co., Bowling Green, Ohio, as vice president and general manager and founded Alliman Consulting, a firm which offered management consulting and sales training counsel to produce industry companies, in 1997.

All positions report directly to Greg Flood, president and chief executive officer.

PMA Appoints Henderson

NEWARK, Del. -- The Produce Marketing Association has named Dan Henderson director of marketing, responsible for all marketing activities relating to the trade group and its floral division, the Floral Marketing Association. He also oversees development and implementation of annual marketing plans for PMA/FMA products, events, services and membership. He replaces Colleen Terry. Prior to this, Henderson was director of community and corporate services for Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, Del.