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Potandon celebrates 20 years

Potandon Produce is the largest marketer of fresh potatoes and onions in North America. The company began in the early 1990’s with just a few employees selling Green Giant™ brand potatoes out of a small sales office in Shelley, Idaho (which was then a part of the Pillsbury Company). In 1989, Grand Metropolitan, a property conglomerate headquartered in London England, acquired Pillsbury and by 1994 changed the new business development strategy from building businesses to acquiring them. Jeff Sholl, then Vice President and General Manger of the Green Giant Fresh division knew his new business venture would be closed. He believed so strongly that the Green Giant™ brand had unlimited potential in fresh produce that he negotiated a deal with Pillsbury for the rights to the brand for future development in the world of fresh produce. In January 1995, the Sholl Group was founded. By March 1st 1995, Jeff Sholl, three of the original employees and six of the business's grower partners formed Potandon Produce L.L.C.

The newly formed company started operations in Idaho Falls, Idaho with Mel Davenport who headed up Operations and Grower relations, Kent Romrell (now retired) who headed up Sales and Business Development, and Steve Ottum who managed the Finances, Accounting, and Marketing. The first task was naming the new venture. POTANDON, sometimes a tongue twister, clearly states exactly what the company is all about – POTatoes AND ONions – nothing more, nothing less.

Today Potandon Produce™ is the sole provider of potato and onion products for Green Giant Fresh™. We also grow products for Klondike Brands™, Sunfresh™, Potandon Produce, and The Valley™ labels.

Steve Ottum in closing had this to say, “While we celebrate the success and growth of Potandon over the past 20 years, we know we could not have gotten where we are today without our knowledgeable, hard-working, and dedicated employees. I would like to sincerely recognize and say thank you to our outstanding team. We started this adventure with 12 people in 1995 and now have a family of 116. Our success is due to all those who built the company and continue to work hard every day to make it the success it has become. I’m excited for the future of Potandon over the next 20 years and beyond.”

Visit www.potandon.com for more information.
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