Hoefle brings extensive experience in produce, floral and grocery to his new role
Equifruit, North America’s leading Fairtrade-certified banana importer and certified B Corp, has appointed Owain Hoefle as sales manager, Western North America. Based in British Columbia, Hoefle will be responsible for developing key retail relationships across Canada and the US.
Hoefle brings extensive experience in produce, floral and grocery to the role. During his 17 years at Pattison Food Group, he rose through the ranks from store-level operations to director of produce, floral and bulk, a role in which he developed deep expertise in category management and retail produce programmes.
He most recently served as key account manager at Rainbow Greenhouses. Having worked on both the operational and commercial sides of grocery retail, Hoefle has a firsthand understanding of what it takes to build and sustain successful produce programmes at scale.
“After two decades building relationships across retail, you develop a clear sense of what a great brand looks like, and Equifruit has built something genuinely worth representing,” Hoefle said. “I look forward to bringing that story to more retailers across Western North America and growing a programme that delivers real impact for farmers and communities.”
Kim Chackal, VP of sales and marketing and co-owner of Equifruit, commented: “Owain brings deep roots in Western Canadian produce and experience building retail relationships in the markets we’re growing in. We’ve long believed that the right people make all the difference in bringing Equifruit Fairtrade bananas to more shelves, and Owain is exactly the kind of seasoned, values-aligned team-member who can do that”.
Hoefle joins Equifruit as the company continues its rapid growth across North America. Recently named one of The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies for the second consecutive year, Equifruit has expanded its Canadian footprint through a partnership with Pattison Food Group.
