Q&A with CarrieAnn Arias from Naturipe Farms

What encouraged you to join the grocery industry?

I grew up around agriculture. While my parents weren’t directly involved, most of my friends and family friends were, so I was exposed to that world at a very young age. It’s always been a part of my life. Since I joined, I have not once looked back. I’ve become part of such a crucial, unique community in the produce industry. In Salinas, where I live, we consider ourselves to be the salad bowl of the world.

How does the overall grocery industry compare today to when you joined?

Since joining the industry 20 years ago, it is more data-driven. Early in my career, the industry was still very tactically driven from a promotion perspective. Everything was physical coupons, so there was no true data to analyze. We were making decisions based on past experiences and gut feelings, rather than facts and numbers.

Thanks to advanced technology, we can collect and analyze data that tells us more about consumers’ purchasing behaviors, what they look for and changes in trends. One of the ways we get this data is through loyalty cards, for example. The data we have access to today drives our decisions on not just the assortment of products on the retailer’s side, but from a promotion perspective on our side. It allows us to ensure we are delivering the right offers, the right ways, to the right consumers at all times. That was never a possibility before.

Which grocery industry trends have caught your attention and how is Naturipe addressing them?

Online shopping isn’t new, but the accelerated growth caused by Covid-19 is certainly something that everyone is paying attention to. Online shopping is something that Naturipe has truly embraced by launching testing programs with retailers and Instacart. But also, our industry organizations like USHBC and California Strawberry Commission have supported it at a commission level. This is important to note because these organizations focus on the entire industry, not a single program. These organizations have the power to ignite change, moving the transition forward.

It’s a challenge for the produce industry because we don’t have the market that traditional consumer packaged goods (CPG) have. This is simply the nature of our industry, but the recent surge in e-commerce has truly been a unique opportunity for us to be as impactful as traditional CPG items are.

How is the company setting itself apart from competitors within the grocery industry?

Everybody focuses on quality, but at Naturipe we pride ourselves on simultaneously focusing on service as well. We are very service-oriented for our customers, and we work with them to be very customized to what they need in their environment. That’s the cornerstone of what we focus on. The industry is highly competitive, but we also do so many things together. For example, we couldn’t change our packaging without being in lock-step with our competitors. Quality has to be there, but providing excellent service is where we shine as a company.

Who has been your biggest advocate and supporter?

I’ve had a number of advocates, mentors and supporters during my career in produce. One that immediately comes to mind is Tim Stejskal (CEO, Fresh Innovations). When I was at Dole, Tim was the VP of Sales, and he really mentored me in how to create partnerships and synergies between sales and marketing teams in order to drive success at retail, and ultimately for the company itself.

Another career-long mentor of mine is Gene Grabowski (Partner, kglobal). Gene and I have worked together for a long time, and during that time he has been a constant cheerleader and has always had my back. He is a fantastic sounding board and voice of reason, and I will always value him for these and so many other, qualities.

The ultimate support comes from having amazing teams. I’ve been blessed in my career with several amazing teams of people, staff and vendors. What makes or breaks you is who you surround yourself with. I’m lucky to continue to experience this at Naturipe. Every single member brings something unique to the table.

As a team leader, I’m focused on watching, developing and growing my team. That’s the most rewarding part of the job. It’s not the success of a promotion, it’s the investment in other people. It’s such an important part of my career.