Philip Smith, the former president of Calavo Growers in the US and the co-founder of Interfresh Inc., passed away on 17 October at the age of 83, The Packer has reported.
Mr Smith joined Calavo in 1973 as marketing director and left in 1983 to form Management Associates, before setting up Interfresh in California with his son Craig Smith and Chris Puentes in 1987.
'Phil's contributions to the company remain invaluable,' said Mr Puentes, president of Interfresh. 'His influence on Craig and me... was a fundamental reason for our early success.
'He really was a mentor for us both, and his steady hand and calm, quiet leadership helped set the tone for the company early on,' he added.
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