RIVERSIDE, CA - Index Fresh is pleased to announce the appointment of Santiago Pacheco, Manrique Palacios, and Juan Valdez to new roles in which they will lead teams at its California and Texas locations. The California-based company hired Pacheco as VP of Operations, while Palacios transitioned to his new role as Plant Manager, Bloomington, CA, with Valdez taking on Distribution Center Manager, Pharr, TX.

“I enjoy that people go out of their way to teach you the avocado business at Index Fresh,” said Pacheco. “I love eating avocados, and I am very happy to be a part of a team that sells and distributes healthy food while building meaningful partnerships.”

Pacheco joined Index Fresh in June of 2018. According to the company’s press release, as VP of Operations, Pacheco will oversee Index Fresh’s facilities in Bloomington and Pharr, logistics and transportation, as well as all third-party warehouses and ripening centers across the country. With over 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Pacheco joins Index Fresh with an understanding of operations from planning, production, procurement, transportation, warehouse operations, customer service, human resources, maintenance, and engineering.

Palacios brings over 15 years of supply chain, logistics, project management, and operations experience in consumer packaging goods, fresh produce, import/export, and transportation from his previous roles at PepsiCo, Verenium Corporation, and Wonderful Citrus. Palacios joined Index Fresh as the Distribution Center Manager of the then newly-opened Pharr facility in June, 2017.

“Running the Texas facility helped me learn about the avocado industry,” expressed Palacios. “I’ve gained a strong understanding of operations at Index Fresh as I continue learning about the business. Now, I’m looking forward to working even more closely with our great team in California to run a safe and efficient operation.”

He was promoted to Plant Manager in Bloomington this year. Palacios helped start up the state-of-the-art Index Fresh facility in Pharr, TX, building a high-performance team to create a successful distribution and packing operation for the company. In his new role, he is responsible for overall plant operation in Bloomington, including packing, ripening, warehouse management, procurement, demand planning, and shipping and receiving.

Valdez, a Texas native, brings with him years of experience in producing and distribution, specializing in warehouse management. Valdez has stepped up as a Distribution Center Manager in Pharr, TX.

“I’m looking forward to growing as a leader at a company that continually demands excellence, while still promoting a healthy and positive work environment,” disclosed Valdez. “And, a big plus is that I love avocados.”

He joined the Index Fresh Pharr team as Warehouse Manager in September 2017, working closely with his predecessor, Palacios. His familiarity with the operations at Index Fresh, especially the Pharr facility, strengthens his transition into overseeing overall plant operations in Texas.

The company has been aiming to improve operations and efficiency over the last six months and, as stated in the press release, Index Fresh is delighted to have familiar faces in its new Texas and California operations roles.

For updates on the Index Fresh team, keep reading AndNowUKnow.

Index Fresh