February 13, 2000



Norcal Nursery, Inc.

Position Description

Position Title: PNW Sales Representative/Grower Liaison

Division: Norcal Nursery, Inc.

Reports To: VP of Sales & Marketing

Supervises: WA Distribution Support Staff

Salary Range:

FLSA Status: Exempt

SUMMARY: The PNW Sales Representative is responsible for the marketing and sales of nursery commodities produced by Norcal Nursery and Sakuma Bros. Farms. The Grower Liaison works with the VP of Sales & Marketing to develop and maintain positive relationships with all growers that ship fruit and/or vegetables to Sakuma Bros. Processing Plant in order to foster short and long term procurement of the product and to ensure food safety requirements are adhered to. This requires ongoing and consistent consultation and oversight to the grower on best horticulture practices, harvest projections, harvest execution, and quality assurance (from field to packaging).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Develop a working knowledge of the production cycle of nursery plants harvested for commercial and retail sales as well as nursery plant varieties sold by Norcal Nursery.

• Develop a working knowledge of the current and potential customer base within a designated region. Develop and expand grower relationships that focus on credible, dependable, responsive, friendly and reliable service.

• Market the nursery stock to new and existing customers by researching and developing a plan that best fits the individual needs of the customer. Maintain communication with nursery customers during planting, growing and harvest to assess plant performance and grower practices.

• Meet or exceed sales goals for region as measured by sales volume and market penetration.

• Assist in the coordination of plant sales and shipments.

• Communicate on a regular basis with the Nursery Sales Director, Sales Representatives and other staff to ensure optimum customer service and nursery sales.

• Assist the VP of Sales and Marketing in preparation of the sales forecast on a bi-annual basis and recommend updates as conditions/circumstances change.

• Monitor sales invoicing and inventory management.

• Assist in the development, implementation and coordination of effective and efficient policies and procedures for sales, distribution and collection management.

• Maintain detailed records of customer base.

• Coordinate customer accounts receivable management with the corporate credit manager including customer profiles, credit applications, past due accounts and disputes. Obtain security documents as needed.

• Provide input in the development of the annual nursery budget. Monitor assigned budget throughout the year.

• Provide input in the development of an effective and profitable pricing program.

• Attend and participate in appropriate trade shows, field days, research and/or industry seminars and meetings to increase knowledge and be informed of current developments.

• Maintain aged accounts receivable within corporate standards in correlation to weekly reporting.

• Provide superior customer service in all aspects of dealing with or providing support to the customer.

• Develop and maintain a system of written reporting communication that can be sent to the VP of Sales and Marketing on a weekly basis to ensure efficiency in our operations in Washington and California.

• Develop a working relationship with all growers that ship products to Sakuma Bros. Processing Plant for both fresh and frozen production

• In coordination with the Processing and Farm Management Teams, develop and execute grower contracts to fulfill processing plant raw product requirements for volume and quality for defined product lines.

• Provide ongoing consultation and oversight to the grower on best horticulture practices, harvest projections, harvest execution, scheduling of deliveries, and quality assurance (from field to packaging). Provide daily feedback to individual growers on fruit quality, recovery, and methods to increase quality, when applicable.

• Maintain effective procedures for shipping and receiving product at the processing plant receiving station for both incoming and outgoing products.

• In coordination with the Processing and Farm Management Teams, optimize utilization of the processing plant by providing the appropriate staff with timely and accurate harvest projections that, at a minimum, should include information related to varieties, volume, quality and timing.

Strawberry and Raspberry Nursery Tasks:

• Manage all tissue culture sales, which include the coordination of sales coming in from other Sales Representatives at Norcal. Serve as a liaison between sales and production.

• Responsible for ensuring that South and Southeast growers are contacted by the sales staff.

• Manage all TC orders through the Washington office. (All telephone orders go through the WA office.) Manage the availability list for the sales staff.

• Compile all sales projections using historical data as a point of reference. Receive input from sales staff. Works with the Director of Nursery Sales to set goals/targets.

• Prepare budgets for Director of Nursery Sales with target inputs and projected throughput numbers for strawberry and raspberry nursery and TC sales to be the basis for budget build and accountability.

• Perform market analysis in the defined PNW geographic areas to determine and define target market and project a reasonable market share percentage.

• Provide short, mid and long term sales projections for PNW strawberry and raspberry nursery and tissue culture sales.

• Provide input to planting projections annually and inside a five-year window.

• Provide input to pricing for nursery stock in the PNW sales area and TC pricing for all areas of sales operation.

• Connect with primary R & D individuals within the small fruit industry and the primary and secondary growers within the PNW sales region. Priority focus on R&D within the small fruit industry to be WSU and OSU, as well as any other University or proprietary researchers that are major players in the small fruit industry within the PNW.

• Select key conferences, field days and networking opportunities to establish credible and sustainable relationships with key players within the small fruit industry for the PNW region.

• Take an active role in supporting the Low and High elevation harvest; from pre-harvest to post-harvest. Align the sales targets for high and low elevation SB and RB nursery operations with the harvest execution.

• Coordinate with the Quality Control Manager to administer a records management system that maintains accurate and current grower pesticide records and water sample records.

• Support Sakuma Bros. Farms’ Food Safety Program by working closely with the appropriate staff, which may include assisting with training and structuring various components of the program.

• Coordinate and develop a grower training program that meets required standards for food safety and maintain accurate records/documentation of such.

• Develop and maintain all grower records for the various plant certifications and buyer requirements.

• Coordinate fresh market program with grower base. Coordinate custom harvest or other custom requirements with Sakuma Farms. Coordinate all 3rd party audits with outside growers for fresh and frozen shipments.

• Represent the farm and processing at professional meetings and conferences. Provide feedback to other managers on topics of interest to the appropriate division.

• Assist growers with recommendations of plant varieties and procurement of nursery plants.

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Perform related duties as required. *

Supervisory: This position has direct supervisory responsibilities of the Distribution Coordinator position in WA.

LIMITS OF AUTHORITY: The limits of authority are as directed by the immediate supervisor, but at a minimum, authority of this position is constrained by the resources provided by the direct supervisor and Corporate Management. Specifically, all contractual/verbal agreements and/or decisions that extend beyond resources provided must be coordinated at a minimum with your immediate supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree in plant science and/or business related fields and a minimum of five (5) years progressively responsible sales experience in the small fruit industry, or an equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the skills, knowledge and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge and experience in sales, specifically in the commodity of small fruit nursery.

Knowledge of the life cycle of nursery plants harvested for commercial and retail sales and the ability to develop a working knowledge of the varietal and cultural characteristics of the nursery plant varieties harvested and sold by Norcal Nursery.

Knowledge and demonstrated experience in sales invoicing, cost accounting, inventory control, asset management, return on investment, and customer account management including accounts receivables.

Working knowledge of farm management practices.

General understanding of both Norcal Nursery, Inc. and Sakuma Bros., Inc. company goals and objectives as well as grower requirements.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required to effectively work with Corporate Management, buyers, growers, resource agencies and any other individuals that have contact with the sales division of the company.

Must have skill in nurturing strong, credible relationships with a variety of people that have varying backgrounds and personalities.

Proficiency in working with spreadsheets, word processing, presentation software and electronic communications.

Ability to determine the highest end use for a commodity.

Ability to work independently using effective time management and organizational skills.

Ability to make decisions under pressure, specifically during periods of peak operations or intense negotiations.

Ability to adapt to change and growth in overall business operations and concepts.

Ability to speak conversational Spanish is desired.

Must handle in a constructive manner, the multiple business, organizational, and interpersonal changes or stresses that may exist in the employee’s work, work processes, dealing with other personnel, and supervision (provided or received). (“Work processes” include, but are not limited to, how work is performed, supervised or distributed; how problems are solved; and how decisions are made.)

Must adapt, with minimal or no advance notice, to changes in how business is conducted and work is accomplished.

LICENSES AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS: Valid Washington driver’s license and bondable.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Work is performed both in an office environment and out in the field with growers. Position requires an extensive amount of travel. Depending on the designated sales region, international travel may be required. May be required to work long hours on a seasonal basis. Physical requirements include significant travel.

Hazards: Potential hazards exist when traveling to various customer locations and when performing field tours/visits.

*Related duties as required are duties that may not be specifically listed in the Position Description, but are within the general occupational series and responsibility level typically associated with the employee’s classification of work.

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The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the essential functions of this position, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility. However, this should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Employees may perform other duties as assigned. Changes to the position description may be made at the discretion of the employer. This position description does not constitute a contract for employment.

It is the policy of Norcal Nursery, Inc. to not discriminate against any person with regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, or physical or mental disability.

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Employee Signature: _______________________________________ Date: ______________________

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