Central Coast Cooling Announces New President

SALINAS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 4, 2024 / Central Coast Cooling, LLC, a subsidiary of Post Harvest Technologies, Inc., announced today that it has hired Rick Russo as new president of the Salinas, CA-based company.

"We are delighted to welcome Rick Russo to our group of companies. Rick brings a strong leadership background within the fresh produce space, in both sales and marketing as well as project management," said Dr. Jim White, Chairman and CEO of Post Harvest Technologies.

In his new role, Russo will be responsible for guiding Central Coast Cooling through a nationwide expansion plan.

"Our immediate goal is to expand Central Coast Cooling. Rick's focus and expertise will center on expanding Central Coast Cooling via strategic acquisitions, increasing market share for 3PL services, and exploring opportunities in new fresh produce markets. Additionally, Rick will drill down on a special project for PHT Investment Group, a subsidiary of Post Harvest Technologies that acquires, develops and invests across the entire postharvest supply chain," White said.

Prior to joining Central Coast Cooling, Russo served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Church Brothers Farms and before that as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Mann Packing Company. His 35 years of experience within the fresh produce industry has afforded him skills in strategic business development, new product development, data analytics, forecasting, team building, and financial management.

"Rick has a track record of being results driven and maintaining a focus on the development of differentiation and competitive advantage." White added. "These qualities are precisely what our organization needs as we expand into the national marketplace."

"I'm excited to join Central Coast Cooling and take on this leadership role as we chart our course for national growth. Central Coast Cooling is currently the largest commercial cooling operation on the west coast and is recognized as a trusted provider in the regional postharvest supply chain. While there are definite opportunities to seek new approaches to some age-old challenges, it is Central Coast Cooling's strict adherence to excellence and rigorous quality control that will provide the foundation for success. It's an honor to lead a company with values like these."

Central Coast Cooling is a pre-cooling, cold storage and logistics management provider serving grower-shippers of California's agricultural valley known as the "Salad Bowl of the World," with imminent plans for national expansion.

Located in Salinas, CA, on an iconic 28-acre pre-cooling and cold storage campus, Central Coast Cooling currently operates three separate pre-cooling and cold storage facilities covering 150,000 square feet and handling some 34 million cartons of fresh produce per season.

For more information, visit https://centralcoastcooling.com/.

Dr. Jim White is founder and CEO of PHT Investment Group LLC, as well as Chairman and CEO of Post Harvest Technologies, Inc. and Growers Ice Company, Inc. He is the bestselling author of five books, including Opportunity Investing: How to Revitalize Urban and Rural Communities with Opportunity Funds and Broken America: Ten Guiding Principles to Restore America.Throughout his career, he has bought, expanded, and sold 23 companies operating in 44 countries. He holds a B.S. in civil engineering, an MBA, and a doctorate in psychology and organizational behavior. He shares his insights and critical thinking skills in a webcast series, Healing America with Dr. Jim White, in which he explores the many issues and challenges faced by our nation - and how to fix them.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Deborah Levison
203-258-5250

SOURCE: Post Harvest Technologies