Gotham Greens Co-Founder Moves to Executive Chairman; New CEO Appointed
Indoor farming produce company Gotham Greens has announced two changes atop its organization, with co-founder Viraj Puri moving from CEO to executive chairman and Craig Stevenson taking over as CEO from Puri.
Puri has been CEO since 2008, and in his new role will continue to guide and advise the company’s board of directors and leadership. Stevenson most recently served as CEO of packaged rice and rice snacks brand Lundberg Family Farms. He started his career at Procter & Gamble, then worked his way through a variety of sales, marketing and international senior roles at The Clorox Co., where he led the Burt’s Bees business. Additionally, Stevenson spent time as CEO of Scholl’s Wellness Co.
Gotham Greens is celebrating its 15th anniversary in market, and its vertically integrated business model has allowed the company to grow market share 15% year-over-year, Puri noted in the release. The company has grown from a single urban rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., to a national network of climate-controlled, high-tech greenhouses in nine U.S. states, including locations in New York, Illinois, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Colorado, California, Georgia and Texas. Gotham Greens grows hydroponic leafy greens on more than 40 acres of greenhouse space.
The company said it is accelerating growth in value-added categories including salad kits, dressings, dips and cooking sauces.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.