MORGAN HILL, CA – There’s a new face joining the lineup at Sakata Seed America, as the company looks to boost its reach in trends and new products. The company has announced Mike Tucker as its new Retail Category Manager. 

“Having spent my entire career thus far focusing on the final consumers’ wants and needs, I’m excited to now find myself at a company who can directly impact those needs,” Mike said of his appointment. “Sakata has an unbelievably talented team that is dedicated to helping all levels of the supply chain–from grower down to consumer. I am thrilled to be here and cannot wait to help the team deliver our goals and drive market growth.”

Mike stepped into his role on May 8, 2017. In this position, Mike will be responsible for connecting new Sakata product development and trends to retail partners by communicating the downstream benefits of top Sakata products for the buyside markets, according to a press release. This includes the company’s Infinite Gold cantaloupe and specialty tomato programs, which both focus on flavor as a key component. 

Mike brings 15 years of experience in perishables to the company, and a wide background with strengths in merchandising, account management, logistics, and product development. This experience will strengthen the Sakata team while also providing value to the company’s many retail partners.

Beginning at CH Robinson in 2002, Mike supported the company’s Walmart account and was also Account Manager for fruit categories. Mike then joined Target Produce in 2007, becoming instrumental in Target’s evolution towards self-distribution for produce. This led to the creation and development of Target’s Produce Procurement team, which was initialized to support the company’s merchandising initiatives. 

Mike’s last role at Target was as the company’s first dedicated floral buyer. In this position he was in charge of developing and creating a new business model within Target’s 1,800 stores. 

This year, Sakata Seed America’s 40th year of business in NAFTA, the company will be focused on the expansion of personnel and infrastructure to future success. The company stated that bringing a focused retail professional like Mike on board is just one of the ways Sakata is looking to move forward with a strong trajectory.

Going to PMA Foodservice July 28-30 in Monterey, California? Stop by and meet Mike at booth #508.

Congrats to Mike and the Sakata team, we can't wait to see where you head next!

Sakata Seed America