Modesto, California
June 6, 2007
 Harris
Moran is pleased to announce the addition of Jack Metzelaar
as Vice-President Sales & Marketing.
Metzelaar’s background in the vegetable seed business spans nearly 30
years, during which time he established distribution through
distributors or subsidiaries for Groupe Limagrain-owned
companies on four different continents.
“Jack has tremendous worldwide experience in our business,
including knowledge of our NAFTA markets, together with a full
understanding of Groupe Limagrain and our sister companies,”
said Maurice Smith, President and COO of Harris Moran, owned by
Groupe Limagrain of France.
In the 80s, Metzelaar worked throughout Eastern and Western
Europe. He helped establish a subsidiary in Italy (Harris
Italia). In the 90s, he joined sister company Clause Semences in
France to expand their export business for flower and vegetable
seed. While there, he helped set-up a Clause subsidiary in
India. Not long after, he set-up subsidiaries in Brazil,
Argentina, Chile, and South Africa – the latter three in
association with Harris Moran.
In 2000, Metzelaar joined another sister company Nickerson-Zwaan
in the Netherlands as Sales and Marketing Director. In 2005, he
joined Ball Holland, subsidiary of Ball Horticultural Co as
subsidiary manager of an ornamental young plant, seed and
cuttings production and distribution company with its main
activity in Northern Europe.
Metzelaar begins immediately with Harris Moran and will be based
at its corporate headquarters in Modesto, California.Harris Moran Seed Company is part of the
largest independently owned seed company in the world. The
Modesto, CA-based company is owned by Groupe Limagrain, a French
cooperative owned, run, and operated by French farmers.
Harris Moran breeds innovative vegetable
varieties designed to boost yield, reduce chemical inputs, and
increase freshness, flavor and fruit quality from plow to plate.
The company breeds vegetables for markets in more than 65
countries. |
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