Miles Reiter Explained

Joseph Miles Reiter (born circa 1950) is an American farmer and entrepreneur, and the former CEO of Driscoll's, Inc., the world's largest berry company.[1] [2] [3]

Biography

Miles Reiter is the grandson of Joseph "Ed" Reiter, co-founder along with R.O. Driscoll of the Driscoll's berry company.[4] [5] The Reiter family owns around 70 percent of the company, which (aside from berry production) develops and licenses the fruits’ proprietary breeds.[6] Following the family tradition, after graduation from Princeton University, he became a strawberry farmer in around 1970 in the Pajaro Valley, and became the chairman of Driscoll's in 1998, becoming CEO in 2000.[7] Reiter works at Driscoll's corporate office in Watsonville, California at the mouth of the Pajaro Valley. His daughter, Brie Reiter Smith, is following family tradition, farming blueberries in Chile, and his son is farming strawberries in Santa Maria, California.[8]

Under Reiter's stewardship, Driscoll's has become the largest berry supplier in the United States.[9] [10] [11] [12] He has served as chairman of the board of the California Strawberry Commission and of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. He serves on the boards of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) and has been a director of the Western Growers Association since November 2006. He served as a director of Produce Marketing Association from October 2008 to October 2011.[13]

In April 2015, Reiter announced that Kevin Murphy, the company's then president and COO, would assume the CEO role.[14] J. Miles Reiter continues as chairman of the board.[15] In November 2018, Reiter reassumed the position of CEO.[16] In October 2023, Driscolls Board of Directors announced Soren Bjorn would elevate to the CEO position and succeed Reiter who is set to retire in January 2024.[17]

Innovations and awards

Reiter worked to improve strawberry varieties, expanding on the original Sweet Briar strawberries variety.[18] [19] [20] Additional innovations in the industry have resulted in year-round production of fruit, making a steady presence of fruit in the supermarkets.[21] In 2007, Reiter put a conservation easement on 103 acres of farmland to help save the Pajaro Valley from citification.[22]

Contributions

Reiter has spoken publicly about the need for groundwater reform in California agriculture. He has written an editorial statement published in 2015.[23] In addition, Reiter plays an active role in support of CERES.[24]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Report . Staff . 2023-10-12 . Driscoll’s gets new CEO as Reiter steps down . 2024-07-12 . The Pajaronian Watsonville, CA . en-US.
  2. Web site: Siampani . Anna . 2023-10-11 . Soren Bjorn will be Driscoll's new CEO following Miles Reiter's Retirement . 2024-07-12 . CEOWORLD magazine . en-US.
  3. Web site: Cohen . Ben . Why America’s Berries Have Never Tasted So Good . The Wall Street Journal.
  4. Web site: Roy Fuentes: Fuentes Berry Farms - University Library. library.ucsc.edu.
  5. Web site: The Webb Schools: Garland Reiter '72 - Bringing Berries to Your Table . 2013-02-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222024457/http://www.webb.org/news/detail/index.aspx?pageaction=ViewSinglePublic&LinkID=43&ModuleID=54# . 2014-02-22 . dead .
  6. Goodyear . Dana . 2017-08-14 . How Driscoll's Reinvented the Strawberry . en-US . The New Yorker . 2023-06-14 . 0028-792X.
  7. Web site: Our Heritage. Driscoll's.
  8. Web site: Brie Reiter Smith named GM of Driscoll's Chile. www.fruitnet.com.
  9. News: Driscoll's Interview, Pt. I: Video - Bloomberg . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141114065213/http://www.bloomberg.com/video/64557918-driscoll-s-interview-pt-i.html . November 14, 2014 .
  10. News: Driscoll's Interview, Pt. II: Video - Bloomberg . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222150822/http://www.bloomberg.com/video/64557604-driscoll-s-interview-pt-ii.html . February 22, 2014 .
  11. News: Driscoll's Interview, Pt. III: Video - Bloomberg . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222150837/http://www.bloomberg.com/video/64557538-driscoll-s-interview-pt-iii.html . February 22, 2014 .
  12. Web site: Driscoll's Interview, Pt. IV: Video - Bloomberg . . 2017-09-05 . 2014-02-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222150832/http://www.bloomberg.com/video/64557368-driscoll-s-interview-pt-iv.html . dead .
  13. Web site: Stocks.
  14. Web site: Clark . Samantha . 2015-04-08 . Driscoll's announces Kevin Murphy as new CEO . 2023-06-14 . Santa Cruz Sentinel . en-US.
  15. Web site: Current Driscoll's President Kevin Murphy is the Company's New CEO. Melissa De. Leon. 31 March 2015.
  16. Web site: J. Miles Reiter Returns as Driscoll's Chief Executive Officer.
  17. Soren Bjorn Named CEO of Driscoll's. 10 October 2023 .
  18. Web site: 2024-02-25 . Strawberry Fields Forever . 2024-07-12 . Princeton Alumni Weekly . en.
  19. Web site: “It’s Essential to Make Room for New Leadership” . VIsion Magazine.
  20. Web site: Soren Bjorn succeeds J. Miles Reiter as Driscoll’s CEO . The Produce Reporter.
  21. News: For Raspberries, Ubiquity (at a Price) . The New York Times . David . Karp . 7 July 2004.
  22. Web site: Land Trust of Santa Cruz County : The Time to do Something is Now... An interview with Miles Reiter . 2013-02-10 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130717215239/http://www.landtrustsantacruz.org/newsletters/07_winter/reiter_interview.htm . 2013-07-17 .
  23. Web site: 24 August 2014 . Miles Reiter: California agriculture needs groundwater reform .
  24. Web site: Driscoll's Berries on the Front Lines of Climate Change. 19 May 2015.

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