Organic Alliance Promotes Chris White From VP to Chief Development Officer
SALINAS, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 18, 2012) - Organic Alliance, Inc. (OTCQB: ORGC), a global grower and marketer of fresh, organic and Fair Trade fruits and vegetables, today announced it has promoted Chris White from Vice President - Global Supply Chain Development, to Chief Development Officer.
Mr. White has eight years of professional experience building sustainable, certified food production and pioneering models of development and trade in Latin America. He has spearheaded the development of Organic Alliance's Fair Trade Initiative announced October 3, and is instrumental in building the Company's rapidly growing portfolio of top quality organic and Fair Trade produce growers in Mexico.
"Being able to rapidly develop certified Organic and Fair Trade supply chains gives us a serious advantage when addressing supermarket concerns over the increasing demand and tight supply of certified products," Chris White said. "Our producer and professional networks in Latin America took years to develop and enable Organic Alliance to source more sustainably -- and more profitably. We are pioneering a new way of bringing affordable, sustainable products to market using our unparalleled capabilities on the ground.
"We're also developing innovative media technology to directly engage supermarkets and consumers in our Fair Trade community projects and stories. This builds brand value, consumer loyalty and adds value for the retailer -- all while improving the quality of life in the grower communities where we work," Mr. White added. "It's a win-win that I'm proud to be a part of."
"Chris has been foundational in our work to become a leader in the expanding Fair Trade market by operating closest to the seed -- being the grower," said Parker Booth, Organic Alliance Chief Executive Officer. "His expertise in the complex world where trade, social development and culture intersect is unrivaled. I'm excited to continue growing our business and making a positive impact with Chris."
Chris White Bio
Mr. White has eight years of professional experience building sustainable, certified food production and pioneering models of development and trade in Latin America. He was most recently founder and president of Nexchange Organics, an organic products distribution and sustainable supply development firm. Prior to that, while based in Uruápan, Mexico, he served as Supply Development Director at Fairtrasa International, one of Mexico's largest Fair Trade and Organic exporters.
Mr. White also oversaw the development of Argentina's first Fair Trade certified production, certifying a network of over 100 certified sustainable farming operations while developing the supply base for Interrupcion* Fair Trade, a social-enterprise exporter based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his career as national account manager at TransFair USA, the founding U.S. Fair Trade certifier in Oakland, CA. Mr. White has a BA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
About Organic Alliance
Organic Alliance, Inc. is a global grower and marketer of organic, Fair Trade and conventional fresh food products. By establishing collaborative relationships with key growers, Organic Alliance has built a vertically integrated supply chain through an alliance of growers that enables it to support its customers with an increasing variety of certified sustainable products, sensible pricing, steady supply and inspiring multi-media stories from our many producing communities. For more info, visit: www.organicallianceinc.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our business based, in part, on assumptions made by our management. Actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements could differ materially from those discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including future economic, competitive, regulatory, and market conditions, future business decisions, changes in the supply and demand of the products we sell, our relationships with our existing suppliers, our success in finding additional supply sources, our ability to attract and retain customers, and the risks and other factors discussed in our Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2011 or in the other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in such forward-looking statements, they should not be regarded as a representation that our objectives or plans will be achieved, and they should not be relied upon by investors when making an investment decision. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "may," "forecasts," "foresees," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Similarly, statements in this release that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals are forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made except as required by law.
