B & R Farms, LLC has officially moved into its new offices and headquarters in Hollister. The new facilities amount to more than 20 times the size of the previous space and will provide plenty of room for this fourth-generation, family-operated farm to expand its business.
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Located at 5280 Fairview Rd., the new offices and showroom facilities are more than just buildings. They also represent a milestone for B & R Farms, which specializes in the prized Blenheim variety of apricots, and will serve as a foundation for accelerated growth as they broaden their footprint in the industry.
Plans for this growth began last year when, after attending the 12 O’Clock High Leadership Summit led by internationally known management consultant and best-selling author Dr. Jim White, B & R Farm owners Jim and Mari Rossi decided it was time for them to address the issue of succession planning.
To help them develop a collective vision, goals, and objectives for their business, they once again turned to White for advice. In October 2014, they began a comprehensive succession and strategic planning process with him to help them prepare for and ease the company’s transition to the next generation.
In March 2015, Jim and Mari requested that White became chief executive officer of B & R Farms. He will remain in that position through at least 2016 as he helps the Rossi family to create and implement an effective succession plan aligned with the company’s core values and business culture.
Over the next 12 month,s B & R Farms will be heavily recruiting local talent to fill many new positions as the company develops an e-commerce group and domestic wholesale group centralized on gourmet specialty food with a focus on health. The export group will undertake plans for expansion into Southeast Asia and China while the retail group will concentrate on developing new markets in the eastern United States.
B & R Farms also plans to acquire allied products and partner with more growers to add value to their popular Blenheim variety and support the expansion and introduction of new product offerings, including frozen apricots.
The public was invited to tour the building and enjoy samples of the company’s products as B & R Farms celebrates with an official open house on Dec. 4 at its 5280 Fairview Road offices. A series of Holiday Open Houses will be hosted at the Fairview location on Dec. 12 and 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information visit B & R Farms online or call 800-930-9168.