Verdant Technologies expands commercial team

Fresno, CA, 9/8/2026 – Seasoned produce professionals strengthen Verdant’s BB #:377032 commitment to connecting stakeholders across the fresh produce supply chain and supporting broader adoption of HarvestHold Fresh

Verdant Technologies today announced the addition of two accomplished produce industry professionals, Maria Howarth and Kyle Palmer, as the company continues to expand its customer engagement capabilities across the fresh produce value chain.

The appointments represent an important milestone in the evolution of Verdant’s commercial organization and reinforce the company’s commitment to ensuring that every stakeholder involved in bringing fresh produce to consumers understands the value that shelf-life extension technologies can deliver.

“Reducing food waste and improving fresh produce quality requires collaboration across the entire supply chain,” said Harlan Ewert, Director of Sales at Verdant Technologies. “Growers, shippers, marketers, retailers, and foodservice operators all play a role in delivering a better consumer experience. As adoption of shelf-life extension technologies continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important that all stakeholders understand how solutions like HarvestHold Fresh create value throughout the supply chain.”

Throughout its growth, Verdant has worked closely with growers, packers, marketers, and shippers to help extend freshness, reduce shrink, and improve supply chain flexibility. The addition of Howarth and Palmer expands Verdant’s ability to engage directly with retail, foodservice, and wholesale organizations, creating stronger alignment among all participants in the produce ecosystem.

Verdant’s expanded team will help facilitate conversations between supply chain partners, identify opportunities for collaboration, and ensure that organizations making procurement, merchandising, and inventory decisions are informed about advances in shelf-life extension technology. “Many of the challenges facing fresh produce today, from food waste to supply chain disruptions to inventory management, affect multiple stakeholders simultaneously,” said Ewert. “Our goal is to help create informed dialogue across the industry so that innovation can move forward more efficiently and deliver benefits to everyone involved.”

Deep Experience Across Retail, Foodservice, and Produce Marketing

Howarth joins Verdant after serving as Senior Global Marketing Director for the California Table Grape Commission, where she led retail marketing programs across the United

States and 21 export markets. During her tenure, she managed relationships with more than 80 retail organizations and helped drive growth in key international markets through strategic retail initiatives and industry partnerships. Previously, she held marketing leadership positions with Sinclair Systems International and several global brands.

Palmer brings more than 20 years of produce industry experience spanning retail, foodservice, category management, quality assurance, and national produce strategy. Most recently, he served in multiple produce management roles at US Foods. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively with retailers, wholesalers, foodservice operators, and produce suppliers to develop category growth strategies, improve quality programs, and strengthen supply chain performance.

Together, Howarth and Palmer bring a unique combination of expertise in retail marketing, foodservice operations, category management, customer engagement, and produce supply chains.

“Maria and Kyle each bring a deep understanding of how decisions are made throughout the produce industry,” said Ewert. “Their experience will help us better educate the marketplace about technologies that reduce waste, improve quality, and create value for all supply chain participants. Just as importantly, they understand the importance of collaboration and partnership in driving meaningful industry progress.”

As produce companies face increasing pressure to reduce waste, improve sustainability performance, and deliver consistent quality, Verdant believes closer alignment among growers, marketers, retailers, and foodservice operators will be essential to accelerating innovation and maximizing fresh produce consumption.

The expanded team reflects Verdant’s ongoing investment in supporting customers throughout the produce supply chain and advancing solutions like HarvestHold Fresh to help produce stay fresh longer, from harvest through consumption.