Having lived and breathed the fresh produce industry for 49 years, Houweling’s Group celebrates the career of Craig Laker and announce his retirement from the Company at the end of the year.
A testament to Craig’s dedication and success over a nearly 5 decade career in produce, is his having worked for only 3 companies during that span. Starting his fresh produce career as a teenager in 1970 at Loblaws, he moved to Sunkist in 1976, and then Horne and Pitfield Foods in 1978. Craig then joined BCHH in 1985, where he spent the next 25 years, as the greenhouse industry developed and matured into a bona fide staple for North American retailers and consumers.
Kevin Doran, Houweling’s Group CEO reflected on Laker’s retirement, “Craig and I go back to my first days in the greenhouse industry. Already seasoned then, he invested in sharing his knowledge and helping to build our successes. When coming to Houweling’s in late 2014, Craig’s presence on the team was a welcomed and familiar sight. It has been a pleasure and while he will be missed on our team, I know he and Jill will be enjoying their retirement.”
In 2010, Craig moved on from BC Hot House Foods Inc. to join Houweling’s in Delta, British Columbia. A year later, alongside his wife Jill, Craig relocated to Camarillo, California, where the company’s 125 acre year-round greenhouse farm is located. It was in California, that he took on the role of mentor to countless colleagues, who leveraged his industry knowledge and innate ability to map and allocate products from production forecast to meet customer demand.
“I have been extremely fortunate to have worked closely with Craig for over 20 years. He taught me a great deal about the industry and truly had a passion and commitment to the business and for his fellow teammates.” noted Mike Reed, EVP Sales at Houweling’s Group.
While his colleagues will miss Craig immensely, his legacy will not fade.
For more information: 
David Bell
Houweling's
Tel: +1 (604) 398-5303
www.houwelings.com