Upward Farms names vice president of operations
Upward Farms, an organic vertical farming company, has named seasoned supply chain and operations leader Andrew Howell as vice president of operations.
With more than 20 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, Howell is responsible for overseeing the supply chain strategy on behalf of the company and developing best-in-class systems to further propel Upward Farms as it enters a new phase of growth. He will report to Jason Green, chief executive officer and co-founder.
“We are grateful and excited to welcome Andrew to the Upward Farms team as we continue to scale our category-defining sustainable food brand,” said Green in a news release. “The skills and leadership demonstrated by Andrew’s track record in optimizing distribution networks, managing logistics, and overseeing complex supply chains will contribute to our success building a disruptive, best-in-class supply chain.”
Howell joins Upward Farms from Sabra Dipping Co., where he played an integral part in helping transform the company from start-up to a leading fresh dips company in the United States. He rose from facilities engineering manager to senior director of operations and ultimately VP of transformation and change management over a 12-year period. During his tenure at Sabra, Howell was responsible for a 250,000-square-foot facility with over 600 employees and ultimately oversaw all North American logistics for the company including customer service, distribution, inventory, and warehousing.
“I’m thrilled to join a company that is making a positive impact on the world every day, addressing climate change head on, and creating a standalone ecosystem that commercially demonstrates a new way of sustainable farming,” said Howell. “Having the opportunity to leverage my experience as a supply chain leader in order to bring great products to consumers at scale is very exciting. I’m passionate about developing people and teams within the organization, and Upward Farms has an exceptionally dedicated and talented staff. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”
Upward Farms is reinventing the approach to the age-old practice of farming by combining modern vertical farming with the ancient farming practice of aquaponics to produce ready-to-eat, USDA-certified organic microgreens. The greens are currently sold at Whole Foods Market locations in New York and New Jersey with significant expansion ahead. Over the last six months, Upward Farms announced that it is currently building the world’s largest vertical farm in eastern Pennsylvania, and its commercial and partnership news include the launch of their Best Aquaculture Practices certified hybrid striped bass for wholesale and retail through Greenpoint Fish and Lobster in Greenpoint, New York.
