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Frozen Foods Co-Packer, Supplier Harvest Food Group Names New President and CEO

Nov. 28, 2023
Former Popchips CEO Amit Pandhi takes the reins of the Naperville, Ill.-based co-packer, supplier of frozen foods.

Naperville, Ill.-based Harvest Food Group (HFG) — a value-added co-packer, supplier and distributor of frozen foods specializing in entrees, side dishes, meal kits, blends, and a variety of produces and ingredients — has named Amit Pandhi as its new president and CEO effective Nov. 6, 2023.

Pandhi most recently served as CEO of Popchips, where he worked with private-equity firm VMG Partners to lead the snack brand through a transformation and revitalization plan that resulted in the construction of a state-of-the-art processing facility and the company effectively doubling its business, according to a release from HFG. Prior to his time at Popchips, Pandhi was president and CEO of Arctic Zero.

HFG, which was purchased by Industrial Opportunity Partners (IOP) in May 2023, promotes itself as a co-packing partner of entrees, side dishes, meal kits and blends, and it also produces IQF vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes and herbs sourced from around the world as ingredients for other food products. With IOP’s investments, it has scaled its processing capabilities to include a state-of-the-art bowl line that will fill, seal and carton meals, and a specialized cup line that will produce grab-and-go frozen or refrigerated products.

Pandhi said in the release that he looks forward to growing all aspects of the company’s business, from private label, foodservice and contract manufacturing to branded and ingredient channels.

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.

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