What started off in 2006 as a program that comprised a few hundred thousand boxes of table grapes has turned into a produce brand accounting for more than 10 million boxes a year as Divine Flavor enters its 16th season.
While today, Divine Flavor is known in the grape category, over the last decade the company has broadened itself with other commodities such as bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and melons. Helping it through its produce journey over the past 15 years is sales veteran Dennis Hay, one of the original team members at the company.
Sales veteran Dennis Hay, one of the original team members at the company.
Sixteen years ago, Divine Flavor was founded by Alan Aguirre, Carlos Bon and Pedro Batiz. Based in Otay Mesa, California, Bon and Batiz would set up shop to start coordinating their first shipments to the U.S. chain stores from their premier grower, Grupo Alta, in Mexico, where Aguirre resided. It wasn’t long before Hay came on board. “We were a very small company, but I believed in the type of company they were creating,” said Hay.
Hay began by working alongside two other original members of the sales team, Luis Batiz (currently conventional hothouse category manager) and Carlos Bon (then Grupo Alta’s main sales manager, now vice president of sales). “Dennis and I are not only friends at work but also outside the office,” said Bon. “He has supported me throughout my career and he has taught me valuable lessons about relationship building with customers and how to better communicate with them.”
In those first years within the company, Hay’s primary focus was helping build the foundation of Divine Flavor’s product line with key growers throughout Mexico and would sell every commodity for the company.
Carlos Bon, Dennis Hay, and Alan Aguirre jr.
Today, Hay has fully transitioned to the grape team, focusing on the company’s strategic expansion into South American imports and its latest grape project in Jalisco, Mexico at Grupo Alta’s Don Mario, which focuses mainly on premium grape varieties.
“Divine Flavor is a very diverse company and we all come from different backgrounds, different previous careers and different cultures, but that’s what makes it special,” said Hay. “The company shows respect for one another and I’m privileged to be a part of it each day.”
“Dennis sets a precedent of what we look for with all our workforce and we are extremely honored and proud of his accomplishments throughout the years,” said Aguirre.
As the end of 2022 approaches, Divine Flavor will gear up for the West Mexico season with its staple veg items, but also the South American grape import deal starting with Peru.
For more information:
Michael DuPuis
Divine Flavor
Tel: +1 (520) 281-8328
mdupuis@divineflavor.com
https://divineflavor.com/