CHARLOTTE, NC - I think I felt an actual tremble in the newswire as Dole plc’s most recent announcement hit our inboxes. The brand behemoth has made a strategic move to bolster its leadership team, naming Scott Ross as its new Senior Manager of Sales and New Business Development for Dole Diversified North America.

A press release explained that Ross is a seasoned veteran of the produce industry. In this new role, he brings with him more than 25 years of experience working with well-known brands including Sunkist, Giumarra, West Pak Avocado, and most recently, Fresh Del Monte Produce.

The Diversified products division, of which Ross will be taking the reins, operates Dole’s year-round berry category—including strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries—as well as other fruit offerings in addition to its core tropical fruits.

This year, Dole Diversified NA also expanded to offer a 52-week supply program for grapes grown in Chile, Peru, and California. With the help of its new leader, the division is poised for even further growth in the coming months.

“We are excited to welcome Scott to our organization at a time in which we are expanding our product offerings, increasing our supply base, and adding additional resources to the organization to manage double digit sales increases across all our categories,” said Rob Russo, General Manager of Dole Diversified, North America. “Scott’s experience and tenure in the produce industry, provides us additional expertise as we target building new business opportunities within our advanced sourcing structure.”

Through partnerships with a large network of growers and packing operations across the U.S. and in Mexico, Chile, Peru, and South Africa, Dole Diversified is able to provide a continuous 52-week supply of products to all retail and wholesale channels.

We extend our congratulations to Scott Ross on joining such a distinguished fresh produce team!

Dole