President / CEO at Global Perishable Strategies
July 2011 - Present | Windsor, CO
Launched a consulting company to help suppliers grow their bottom line; clients include Walmart, Kroger, Super Value, Steak & Shake, Golden Corral, Little Kentucky Smokehouse, AVA Company and Merck Animal Health. Selected Projects: 1) developing a pulled-pork sandwich for Wendy’s; 2) reformulating the ground-beef blend for Steak ‘n Shake; 3) finding a lower-sodium dinner sausage for Golden Corral’s buffet line. Conference-level speaker and industry expert on Animal Welfare, Food Safety, Sustainability, and Case Ready approaches. See a published article here: (https://supplier.community/in-the-aisles-with-pete-eckes/)
Head of Commercial and Operations at JBS Foods US
February 2016 - April 2018 | Greeley, CO
Head of Retail Ready Sales | 2017 to 2018
The second of two interim positions for JBS; led team in sales, assortment development, negotiations and training for National Case Ready Accounts including Walmart, Kroger, Food Lion, Costco, Trader Joes, Albertsons/Safeway and Aldi. Worked closely with plants, business units, and finance team to deliver strategic goals and initiatives. Drove sales and revenue above budget for underperforming account.
Head of Commercial and Operations | 2016 to 2017
Recruited to lead commercial team in startup operations planning, hiring, assortment development, buying, negotiations and training for new store concept based on successful blueprint in Brazilian market. Worked closely with finance and marketing teams to deliver strategic goals and initiatives.
Senior Director of Business Development at Walmart Stores, Inc
June 2009 - May 2011
Directed strategic development of Walmart’s meat quality program. Led innovation with the fresh meat program; removed $100 million in cost working collaboratively with suppliers. Executed meat commodity sourcing. Led meat and seafood merchandising across all Supercenters and US neighborhood markets. Worked with 18 different subcommittees to execute the overwrap MAP meat program across the US in less than eight months. Reversed a five-year negative comp trend to positive in little over a year. Won Walmart Performance Excellence Award 2009 for Meat Re-Invention. Transformed a struggling seafood business; reduced sku’s and clarified offer to now run 20% + comps. Ran just short of $7 billion in sales with small dedicated staff; grew profits faster than sales each year. Won Walmart Spark Awards for Seafood and Super
Merchandise Manager Meat & Seafood at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
July 2006 - May 2009
Transformed Walmart's meat program driving 8% sales to just under $7 billion and 27% profit growth, while improving ground beef safety standards for all US Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets
President/Co-Owner at Boulder Natural Solutions
2004 - 2006
Founded company; developed and brought to market one of the first “truly natural” meat products. Worked with all areas of the chain from producers and ranchers to retailers and foodservice operators, targeting the top five natural meat processors. Took a natural system losing hundreds of thousand dollars and made it profitable in three months. Sold to one of the nation’s leading and largest retailers.
Director of Marketing at Swift & Company
2002 - 2004
Tasked with profitably growing Swift’s branded fresh pork sales to over $450 million. Developed and presented account-specific marketing programs; managed a $10 million budget across retail, foodservice and international channels. Created marketing expense system used by sales, finance and operations to analyze account-specific spend and ROI. Took branded enhanced pork tonnage to all-time company high of 226 million pounds.
National Sales at Swift & Company
1996 - 2002
Product Manager Loin Complex
Exceeded pricing goals and made the Swift loin complex the most profitable in the industry. Created price programs and projections to manage the movement of weekly inventory levels of pork products to retail, foodservice and international channels. Optimized conversion and significantly increased profits by implementing a new system. Consistently added another layer of profitability while in charge of outside procurement.
National Sales at Seaboard Foods
1995 - 1997
Led the startup, development, and sales of fresh pork products to national retail, and foodservice channels. Launched new fresh pork product line and handled all start up sales activities to new retail and foodservice accounts. Recruited and trained staff of new and experienced sales people.
Director of Marketing at Tyson Foods
1993 - 1995
Protein Product Manager, Beef & Pork Marketing
Led the growth and P & L of fresh and processed beef and pork products. Worked with operations, finance, and R&D to develop and grow beef and pork products for retail and foodservice channels. Introduced new line of fresh beef and pork products to a national broker network. Developed branded product strategy growth for one, three, five and ten-year projections. Managed marketing agency spend across product lines.
National Sales at IBP
1987 - 1993 | Sioux City, IA
Reported to the Vice President of Sales and was responsible for the sale of fresh and frozen pork to national accounts in the retail and foodservice channels. Developed and managed national sales programs with the nation’s largest retail and foodservice companies. Managed pricing to profitably move inventory to coincide with procurement and production. Managed daily USDA reporting and retail sales projections used in daily cutout calculations. Won Top Honors in IPB’s sales school.
Early sales and marketing background with Iowa Pork Industries, Swift & Company, & Minnesota Boxed Meats.
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