Fresh-Cut Pioneer Announces Retirement

IRWINDALE, Calif., Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ — Forty years after creating an industry in a bathtub, Ready Pac Foods founder Dennis Gertmenian is retiring as CEO.

Gertmenian, 62, came out of retirement two and half years ago to help lead Ready Pac Foods back to profitability and to the top of the marketplace. Having accomplished that at the recent close of the fiscal year, the timing was right, he said.

“It is always nice to go out on top, and today Ready Pac has never been in better shape to serve our customers with a tremendous line up of innovative products and services. We have a great management team in place led by Michael Solomon, our president,” Gertmenian said. “We’re profitable, we came off a record year, we’re at the forefront of the industry again and the future looks bright for Ready Pac. I have our team to thank for that success, particularly for giving me the chance to finally spend more time with my family and to devote more quality time to the many charitable organizations that are part of my life’s passion.”

The vision that eventually became Ready Pac Foods was born 40 years ago in a corner of Gertmenian’s father’s produce warehouse. While his father was away on vacation, Gertmenian received a demand from his father’s largest account to provide them with salad mix rather than whole produce. Not wanting to lose his father’s account, he purchased the equipment necessary, including a large bathtub, and began serving the customer within three days. A whole new product was born — fresh-cut salad in a bag — and Gertmenian pioneered fresh-cut produce for the foodservice industry, founding Ready Pac Produce(R) in 1969. Soon thereafter, seeing another opportunity, Ready Pac began distributing fresh-cut salads to supermarkets to meet consumers’ desires for ready-to-eat meals.

“The vision, passion and energy he has possessed for 40 years will leave anyone speechless,” said Solomon, who will assume the CEO role alongside his duties as president. “He’s a legend. He created an industry, and it started by knowing one of the most important virtues in our business — know your customers, their consumers, and meet the needs of both.”

Ready Pac, along with its subsidiary companies, Missa Bay and OBIM, have plants and offices throughout the U.S. with annual sales in excess of $750 million and more than 4,000 employees, making it one of the largest providers of fresh-cut produce in the nation. Gertmenian estimates that in four decades of operations, Ready Pac Foods has provided more than 5 billion servings of fresh-cut produce to consumers and customers.

Gertmenian will continue as a board member for Ready Pac Foods. To demonstrate his commitment to truly step back, he left orders to not have an office waiting for him, he said, adding, “It’s time.”

California-based Ready Pac is a premier producer of convenience fresh foods, including fresh-cut produce. With processing facilities throughout the U.S., Ready Pac’s award-winning salads, fresh-cut fruit and vegetables are distributed in supermarkets, restaurant chains, and convenience stores across North America. For more information, visit http://www.readypac.com/.

Ready Pac Foods

CONTACT: Ali Leon of Ready Pac Foods, +1-626-856-8686, ext. 2732

Web site: http://www.readypac.com/