LA FARGE, WIS. – Organic Valley introduced its new executive vice president of sales, Rick Simington.

The farmer-owned cooperative shared that Simington is expected to help Organic Valley grow the market for organic milk, cheese, eggs, produce, ingredients “and beyond,” as he steers sales initiatives and cultivates the cooperative’s relationships with retail, ingredient and private-label customers.

Additionally, Organic Valley stated that Simington will help it “progress on its journey to become the organic dairy supplier of choice,” and spotlight the cooperative’s sustainability and organic agriculture values “in every transaction and customer interaction.”

During his 20-year career in sales and marketing, Simington has worked for organizations such as Kellogg Co. and Chobani. Organic Valley noted that his work at Kellogg intersected with dairy, and he went on to Chobani, where he was involved with successful sales acceleration. Simington earned a bachelor's degree in food marketing at Western Michigan University.

"Rick's appointment as EVP of Sales will drive growth for Organic Valley as we look to the future," chief executive officer Jeff Frank said. "His depth of experience in sales, matched with personal and leadership philosophies that resonate with the core values of our cooperative, positions us for strategic growth while staying true to the core mission of Organic Valley. We're confident that Rick will drive our sales team to achieve new milestones and help us reach our goals."

Simington said joining Organic Valley felt like “coming home to a mission I’ve always believed in.”

“The heart of this cooperative — its commitment to organic family farms — is something I’ve witnessed the value of since my youth where I grew up in a small farming community seeing daily the impact farmers have,” Simington said.

“It’s an honor to be part of a team dedicated to making such a profound difference in the lives of farmers, communities and consumers,” he added. “I am eager to lead our sales force, leveraging my experiences to cultivate success and growth for the cooperative.”