Jack Pandol Senior, the former head of US table grape grower-packer-exporter Pandol Brothers Incorporated, died on 4 August after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 87.
Mr Pandol served in the US Army during World War II, seeing combat in the Philippines and serving in the occupational forces in Japan after the war.
After returning home to Delano, California, Jack and his brothers, Matt and Steve, set about growing their company. He was a driving force and a true innovator in the produce industry and in the 1950s he began direct sales to retailers, a radical departure from the terminal market auctions of the era.
In the 1960s Mr Pandol loaded the first refrigerated trucks cross country, bypassing rail travel. By the 1970s he had established a foothold in export markets, using airfreight, traditional refrigerated ships and innovative ocean containers for both import and export. He also pioneered the importing of Chilean fruit, providing year round supplies in US stores.
Last year Mr Pandol received the Bernardo O'Higgins Presidential Order of Merit from the Chilean government, the country's highest award for foreign citizens. The Chilean Exporter's Association and the US Produce Marketers Association both awarded him lifetime achievement awards.
Mr Pandol is survived by his wife of 62 years Winifred, daughter Maria, and sons Stephen, Jack and Jim.
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