Baldor Specialty Foods has added several strategic hires to enhance customer service and achieve future goals, according to the company. Seth Gottlieb, Andrew Howell, and Avisheh Avini will assume leadership roles to help propel business growth.
Gottlieb joins as SVP of logistics, bringing over a decade of experience from FreshDirect, where he served as the VP of logistics and operations planning. At Baldor, Gottlieb will oversee inbound and outbound logistics, elevating efficiency from vendor deliveries to final customer touchpoints.
Howell assumes the role of SVP of operations, arriving from Upward Farms where he was EVP of operations. He also worked for 12 years at Sabra Dipping Company. Howell's responsibilities encompass operations management across Baldor's distribution centers, optimizing warehouse operations in major hubs like Bronx, New York; the Washington DC area; Boston; and Philadelphia.
Avini joins as Baldor's general counsel, with experience in the foodservice industry from her previous role as chief legal officer at Union Square Hospitality Group and her current position as a board member of national ice cream company Salt & Straw. She will oversee all legal aspects of Baldor, including corporate transactions, commercial matters, real estate, employment, and safeguarding intellectual property.
"The strength of our leadership team is paramount to our commitment of 'quality you can trust and service that delivers' and critical as we continue our strategic expansion," said Baldor CEO, TJ Murphy, in a statement. "Over the past 18 months, we've been growing our bench toward the goal of scaling our mission and vision, while continuing to provide white-glove service and radical hospitality. Seth Gottlieb, Andrew Howell, Avisheh Avini, and other recent additions to senior management were hired specifically for demonstrated dedication to both operational excellence and customer satisfaction."
Along with these hires, the company has realigned its manufacturing entities, including the Fresh Cuts division and Pierless Fish business, under COO Gene Mayer to continue to streamline processes, shared the distributor.
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