Q&A with Lori Castillo from NatureSweet

What encouraged you to join the grocery industry?

The opportunity to join the industry came from my love of Marketing. Having worked in CPG brands in the past, the ability to delight consumers with top-quality products and building bonds between consumers and brands they love is my idea of a good time! Let’s be honest, I didn’t know anything about growing tomatoes – but I did know that NatureSweet had the BEST tasting tomatoes in the market. Beyond that, NatureSweet not only delivered on its promise of year-round great tasting products, they operated from a place that was true to their mission of putting people first. Honestly, it was a no brainer.

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

Grocery is in an exciting time of tremendous growth! Every day, I look forward to working on the continuous focus of innovation and execution that NatureSweet depends on. I am consistently amazed at the opportunities that lie ahead for fresh produce and building upon the snacking tomato category that NatureSweet put on the map.

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

Every brand has a story to tell about its products. Our story of trust between consumers and NatureSweet fills not only the functional benefit of healthy snacks for families – knowing that they are grown by Associates who care and are hand packed with the highest standards, but also fills consumer’s emotional benefits because they know that our products are safe and reliable to share with their families.

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

What really sets NaureSweet apart from the competition is our amazing Associates. They get all the credit for raising our tomatoes right. From the very beginning, they watch over the seeds in our NatureSweet nurseries. And as the seeds sprout and grow into strong vines inside our greenhouses, our Associates nurture them every step of the way. It is because of their love, day in and day out, that the fruit grows up to be so sweet. Which is why our Associates are the heart, the soul and the single most important part of our organization.

Only NatureSweet tomatoes are grown to a specification 365 days a year, meaning our consumers (and retailers) get the same flavor, color, size and firmness all year round. If they don’t meet that specification, they don’t get the NatureSweet name. Even in winter, our tomatoes are guaranteed to taste great or the consumer doesn’t pay for them.

NatureSweet is 100 percent vertically integrated.  We own and operate 100 percent of our greenhouses, so we control every step of the growing process. It starts with the best seeds that are nurtured throughout the greenhouse-grown process by Associates who handpick the tomatoes off the vine at the peak of sweetness to provide consumers with high-quality tomatoes all year long.

Who has been your biggest advocate and supporter?

My first interview for NatureSweet was on a Monday at 8 am with the (then) President and CEO of the company, Bryant Ambelang. He asked a few standard business questions and then asked what the last book I read was. My response was one we had in common – a Stephen Covey book. After a slight smile that I don’t think I was supposed to see, the conversation quickly shifted to family, hobbies and where I saw myself in the future. From that moment forward, I have felt Bryant has been my biggest advocate and supporter. He has taught me about the power of a vision and not to be afraid of saying what I really, really want. Living from a place of desire and pursuing the dreams I’ve declared have shown up in real life in a way that I would have never thought possible before.