After fifteen years of sales experience in consumer products,
Koby landed here at Botsford & Goodfellow in 1998, where he enjoys diverse tasks such
as running the "Koby Express" (an affectionate term meaning: correcting botched
truck deliveries!), selling produce and, every now and then, assisting with the building
maintenance. Koby's philosophy in the produce business is: "do what it takes to be
competitive". Koby is married, has one child, and enjoys sports and being with
his family.
It's no secret - people are the lifeblood of any organization. Chuck understands and lives by the philosophy that people are a company's most valuable resource, and great care must be taken within an organization to cultivate relationships characterized by trust and loyalty. That philosophy is evidenced not only in the fact that most Botsford & Goodfellow employees adopt a "till retirement do us part" attitude, but also in the high degree of loyalty in those with whom we do business. One of Chuck's pet phrases is "You take care of them, and they'll take care of you", and that attitude, propagated within the walls of Botsford & Goodfellow has been the principal reason for our success in maintaining ongoing business relationships with our customers and shippers. Chuck's approach to buying and selling produce (and running a business), results in a genuine, candid interaction with people, and that, coupled with his superior ability to motivate, plays a huge part in inspiring respect and confidence in those around him. In his spare time (if he has any), Chuck enjoys barbecuing, wine-tasting and driving his Cobra.
John's official initiation into the produce business came in 1998 after many summer learning sessions, but though his practical experience is limited, his dedication and enthusiasm lead us to believe that he will definitely follow in his namesake's footsteps (John Botsford Sr.: co-founder of Botsford & Goodfellow, Inc.) John occupies his time with many varied duties most of which relate to assisting with truck dispatch. In his off-hours, John enjoys spending time with his fiancé, camping, fishing and off-roading.
John's training in the produce business began as a potato sorter when he was 16 years old. Later, he went on to the warehouse level while he attended college and subsequently accepted a position as assistant sales manager for Sunkist growers before coming aboard at Botsford & Goodfellow in February of 1991. John's areas of specialty are citrus fruits, grapes, mangoes, tomatoes, kiwi and soft stone fruit. His formula for success is expressed in two words: honesty and loyalty. "Treating each buyer with consistency and being fair to the shipper and buyer is what helps people know they can rely on me".
After earning his degree in wildlife management, Ron felt his education and talents would best be put to use in the produce industry. Ron's ambition and energy help him stay on top of onion, potato, and Texas commodity sales in our Seattle office, where he has been a participant since 1997. He endeavors to "effectively represent our shippers and deliver top quality at the best price to our customers". Ron is married, enjoys the outdoors, hunting, and golf (he holds the prestigious Botsford & Goodfellow "worst golfer" title).
"Jimmy's" roots are deep in the produce industry. In addition to his father being an employee with Botsford & Goodfellow for 11 years, Jim started working at Pacific Fruit at the age of 20 where he continued for 7 years prior to moving on to Pacific Coast Produce, where he put in another 7 years until 1988 when he came aboard at Botsford & Goodfellow. Jim handles a wide variety of commodities, specializing in winter vegetables out of Nogales and Florida. He takes a genuine enjoyment in the buying and selling of produce, which fosters a favorable rapport with those with whom he does business. Jim is married with 2 children and enjoys playing golf in his off hours.
Paul, a 12 year veteran in the produce industry has come to this business through genetic predisposition (5th generation produce family). He started out working for his father at Pioneer Fruit early on in his career and now fills a vital role with us here at Botsford & Goodfellow. His primary responsibilities include procurement of transportation and assisting the sales staff with their day-to-day contacts. His outgoing nature and extreme fondness for the people in the produce industry suit him well to the Botsford & Goodfellow family. He asserts: " I look forward to serving the produce industry for many years to come!"
David started with Botsford & Goodfellow in 1990, and specializes in onions bought from Georgia, Texas, Arizona, California, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. In addition, he handles a number of shipping deals in the pacific northwest with sales throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and some exports to the far east. David enjoys fine dining, wine tasting and many forms of physical recreation.
Chris' experience in the produce business began at the age of 15 working as a warehouse hand. In 1990, he put that experience to good use when he became an employee of Botsford & Goodfellow, Inc., where he assumed the role of a transportation coordinator while earning his bachelors degree in Business Marketing. In 1994, Chris switched his coordination efforts from transportation to canteloupe, honeydew, mixed melon and bell-pepper sales. His success at this position stems from his philosophy: "I try at all times to put myself in the shoes of the grower and the customer. It helps me to be fair in my dealings with both". Chris is married with no children and enjoys playing basketball, softball and being outdoors.
Judy is a 27+ year veteran of the produce industry, coming aboard at Botsford & Goodfellow after 8 years at Pacific Fruit. Her pleasant phone voice was heard by many people during the 18½ years she spent truck dispatching at Botsford & Goodfellow before moving on to co-managing the office, where her primary duty now is accounts payable administration. With the exception of Chuck, Judy has the distinction of being the employee with the most years at Botsford & Goodfellow. Judy is married, has 2 children and, in her spare time, enjoys reading, decorating, and remodeling her home.
Peggy came to Botsford & Goodfellow, Inc. after working 15 years for North Pacific Lumber Company (a steel products importer), where she was an adminstrative assistant handling various tasks such as marine insurance claims. Her current responsibilities at Botsford & Goodfellow include management of accounts receivable, health insurance and coordination of building maintenance. In addition, she handles all of Botsford & Goodfellow's telephone system problems (which satisfies an intense need for challenge in her life). In her spare time, Peggy enjoys playing golf, bowling, gardening and reading.
Keith started with Botsford & Goodfellow in 1987, after having completed his brief career as a singing waiter while attending college. A 2nd generation computer programmer with enough education, work experience and vocabulary to get started in the real world, Keith's skills developed quickly under the tutelage of Dick Headington and, after the green faded, he became a productive and valuable addition to the Botsford & Goodfellow D.P. division. When Dick retired, Keith assumed management of the IT department. His primary responsibilities at Botsford & Goodfellow include software design and development, technical support, product enhancements, network management, web page development, technical writing, and keeping up with technology.