If you've ever wondered who keeps the cauliflower and spinach sales moving in the right direction at Ocean Mist Farms, wonder no more! We caught up with Wyatt Maker who has been our Commodity Account Manager for 16 years to hear more about his work, life, and inspirations. Spoiler alert: did you know he is a former Villanova Wildcats basketball player who was a part of the biggest Cinderella story in NCAA history as their team took down Georgetown in the 1985 National Championship? Keep reading to learn more!
1. How long ago did you get started at Ocean Mist Farms and what is your current position?
Back in 2006, Ocean Mist Farms had a Sales/Commodity Account Manager position open and I was asked by a former employee to come interview for the position. I jumped at the chance to come to Ocean Mist Farms and am still here 16 years later. I currently manage the cauliflower and spinach commodities.
2. What does your typical workday look like?
I get to the office each day at 5:15 AM to review my commodity harvest schedule, look at what has been sold for the week, what is currently available for the day, and for the balance of the week. I check in with the harvest managers, Rigo Gonzales for the cauliflower and Richard Reyes for the spinach production. I then double-check numbers and review quality for the day and balance of the week. I set our daily pricing before our 6:30 AM sales meeting, where we discuss in detail with our sales team what is available and what we need to focus on for the week. I’m also responsible for future ad promotions as well as managing daily inventories.
3. What internal departments and external people do you work with?
On a daily basis, I communicate with our production department, harvest managers, and sales team. The daily check-ins with the production department and the harvest managers are critical to adapting quickly to quality changes and forecasting numbers. I also have in-depth conversations with Joe Angelo, our Director of Sales, to get specific insights on the market and learn about what he is hearing within the industry. These daily conversations help me stay on top of our commodities.
4. What are some challenges in your role at Ocean Mist Farms?
The biggest challenge is making sure we harvest 100 percent of our sales volume on a weekly basis as well as managing supply when our sales numbers are below budget.
5. What motivates you and how did you land your most successful sale?
I’m competitive by nature and I hate to lose. Therefore, selling our product and maximizing returns to our growers motivates me and our sales team to do our very best. We have an amazing team! I would say there isn’t one particular sale that is the most successful for me. I value our customers and believe in our quality and what we sell. Making the calls, being persistent, and never giving up selling our great quality make all sales easy.
6. How do you feel knowing you've been a part of a company that produces healthy and nutritious vegetables?
I take pride in working for Ocean Mist Farms. We’ve been around for nearly 100 years and are known for our artichokes, however, that’s just a small part of what we produce. We have a very extensive line of nutritious vegetables and our quality is second to no one.
7. What three words best describe your role?
Team player, competitive and driven.
8. What is the best advice you have ever received?
Always remember where you come from. Always work hard and be the best teammate and person you can be in life. Always be humble.
9. What are some of the happiest times in your life?
Besides the birth of my three children and my marriage to my beautiful wife, one the happiest times of my life was being apart of the Villanova Wildcats Division 1 basketball team that won the NCAA National Championship in 1985 beating powerhouse Georgetown. A dream come true! 😊
9. How do you spend your free time outside of work?
I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends, watching football, doing yard work, and golfing, of course!
One last note about Wyatt Maker, his favorite Ocean Mist Farms vegetable is Brussels sprouts. He enjoys eating them when his wife prepares and serves them for dinner which is very often! 😋
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