Padilla Joins Oppy Sales
VANCOUVER, B.C.— Oppy welcomed industry veteran Joe Padilla to its Texas-based sales force at the end of December.
Padilla joined the full service marketer and distributor with over 30 years’ experience in produce purchasing, sales, and retail in Houston. He was most recently a buyer at Grocers Supply Produce Co., specializing in berries, grapes and stone fruit. From 1999-2008, Padilla sold citrus for Sunkist Growers to retailers and wholesalers throughout Texas. Prior to that, he held a sales and marketing role at Country Fresh, Inc. for two and a half years. Padilla began his career as a produce clerk at a local Foodarama store while he was in high school, which parlayed into buying and sales roles for Grocers Supply Produce Co. from 1985 to 1997.
“With a great deal of expertise on both sides of the transaction, Joe is an excellent fit for us,” said Jeff Walker, sales manager in Oppy’s Houston location. “His versatility and relationships in the industry have enabled him to contribute to the team from the start.”
Padilla said the opportunity to return to sales, along with the positive things he’d observed about the company’s culture, attracted him to the Oppy role.
“As a buyer at Grocers Supply, I had been an Oppy customer,” he said. “Through that experience, I came to appreciate what a unique company this is, and what good people work here. I wanted to get back into sales, and this is the right opportunity for me.”
Padilla sells the full assortment of Oppy items, and will help build a stronger presence for the marketer in the in the south central U.S., which is served by its Houston location, Walker said.
