US agscience company hires new sales director west

Verdant Technologies announces Harlan Ewert as new Sales-Director West, effective immediately. Mr. Ewert comes to Verdant from The Kroger Co, where he worked for more than 30 years. He has spent his career in the retail grocery business and brings procurement, leadership, lean process improvement, and retail expertise to the Verdant sales team. Ewert will lead all Western sales initiatives for Verdant Technologies and report to Scott Harker, VP of Sales.

As Produce Category Manager for Kroger, a supermarket chain in the US, Ewert drove significant category growth and led numerous strategic initiatives for the company. During his tenure, he served in various leadership roles across the country, focused on implementing best practices, maximizing category strategy, managing teams, and aligning company and customer goals.

“Consumers demand freshness in their produce, and the success of the industry depends on it. HarvestHold brings a solution to an ever-changing world, whether pandemic or supply chain-related, to meet this expectation,” said Ewert. Ewert has led a sizable team of procurement specialists, been a frequent presenter at Kroger leadership programs, and has been closely connected with many produce suppliers in a vast range of commodities. Ewert shared, “I look forward to continuing to collaborate throughout the industry and accelerate the introduction of HarvestHold.”

HarvestHold, Verdant’s introductory produce shelf-life extension product, received EPA approval in September 2021. “Harlan's knowledge and disciplined approach to the category make him a valuable part of our team. He brings retail and grower insights to our sales team that will strengthen the HarvestHold offering to the entire supply chain,” said Verdant CEO, Gordon Robertson.