BrightFarms, a leading supplier of locally grown salads for supermarkets, has expanded its customer team to support retailer partners.

Abby Prior will lead BrightFarms’ Customer Growth Team as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, overseeing brand and category growth at partner retailers. Since joining BrightFarms in 2015, Prior has been integral to the company’s success with national retailers, developing longstanding partnerships with Ahold-Delhaize, Kroger and Walmart. She has been recognized for her work as a Top Women in Grocery by Progressive Grocer, a Woman of Influence in the Food Industry by The Griffin Report and among the 40 Under 40 to watch by Produce Business News.

In addition, BrightFarms has hired Matt DiNitto as Director of Sales, East. DiNitto has a diverse background in CPG, ranging from dairy to baked goods. Most recently, he was Senior Director of National Customers with Dean Foods where he oversaw the relationship with Ahold-Delhaize and other large retailers. Previously, he worked with national retail customers at Bimbo Bakeries USA.

With BrightFarms’ newest and largest greenhouse opening in Selinsgrove, Pa. later this month, the company will expand its distribution throughout the Northeast with a focus on the tri-state region. The company has appointed Affinity Sales as its Northeast broker to support growth throughout the area. Bob McGowan will be the lead Account Executive for BrightFarms.

“This expansion of our customer team brings the energy and vision that will allow us to continue to build our best-in-class local salad program.” said Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms. “We’re rapidly establishing a footprint across the Eastern US, we’re excited to open the Carolinas as our next market.”

About BrightFarms

BrightFarms is the No. 1 brand of locally grown packaged salads, serving the freshest, tastiest and most responsibly grown produce to consumers nationwide. BrightFarms operates hydroponic greenhouse farms in the communities it serves, enabling it to eliminate time, distance, and costs from the food supply chain. BrightFarms’ growing methods, a model for the future of scalable, sustainable local farming, use far less energy, land and water than long distance, field-grown agriculture. Forbes has recognized BrightFarms as one of the “100 Most Consumer Centric Companies” and Fast Company has recognized BrightFarms as “One of World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” and one of the “Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Food.” BrightFarms is funded by leading investors Cox Enterprises, Catalyst Investors, WP Global Partners and NGEN Partners.