Who We Are: Dana Dillard, FGS Sales Representative

Dana Dillard may be the newest addition to the Postharvest Team, but he’s certainly not new to the industry. With over three decades of relevant experience, he’s the perfect person to drive new business growth, develop business relationships, and negotiate opportunities for FGS. Working with General Manager Jovina Lucas, Dillard is excited to expand FGS’ reach into new markets.

We talked to Dillard during his third week on the job to ask him about his industry background, his hobbies outside of the office, and his first impressions of Fruit Growers Supply.

You’ve worked in this industry for years. What brought you to FGS?

I had been working with another company for almost 30 years total. The last six years were filled with a lot of corporate turnover and turmoil. It was just kind of a toxic situation. I resigned and I thought about retirement, but I feel like I have some more good years in me! I just decided to keep looking in the industry and see where I could be beneficial, and I knew some people at Fruit Growers from some industry events. It was a good fit.

What excites you about working with FGS?

There’s a lot of opportunity for growth here. I’m excited to build and expand a product line that’s kind of been pigeonholed for a long time. FGS has catered to the Sunkist market, but now we’re looking to grow outside of that organization, which is where I already have most of my experience.

What are the biggest challenges so far?

We’re right at that point where the fourth season is ending, packing houses are done with last year’s crop unit, and they’re just getting ready to start another one. But I’m hitting the ground running, and I’m already getting to meet people outside my former realm.

When you’re not in the office, we hear you like to work on car restoration, too. Tell us about your current project.

I’ve been gathering pieces for a Manx project for a while now. It’s a 1959 Volkswagen fiberglass buggy. I have 90% of what I need to build it, and I’ve just started doing the metal restoration of the chassis part. I have a couple of sports cars, too, but I don’t work on them; I just drive them a lot!

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