Resource Center

LACEY, Wash., July 30, 2024 – Today Harbor Foods is excited to announce the appointment of Jeff Keene as the new Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective immediately at our Lacey, Washington headquarters. Jeff's arrival marks a significant milestone in our journey towards technological excellence and innovation. Jeff is an executive with extensive practical process and technical solution experience, having been entrusted by three former CEOs to address challenges pivotal to the success of their businesses. His C-level expertise spans a diverse range of industries, including global manufacturing and distribution, consumer products, national lab, and entertainment. Jeff's proficiency in building and mentoring teams on effective analysis techniques, cyber security impacts, process design, and implementation methodologies is an invaluable asset to our leadership team at Harbor Foods. With a track record of strong problem-solving and strategic growth, Jeff has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead critical tech initiatives. His appointment as CIO is a testament to Harbor Foods' commitment to growth and innovation. Jeff's wealth of knowledge and leadership in technology will be instrumental in enhancing our technological capabilities, propelling Harbor Foods into a future of expansion and excellence in serving our customers. About Harbor Foods Harbor Foods is a fourth-generation family-owned independent distributor, proudly serving the West Coast. For over 100 years, Harbor has supported local entrepreneurs that provide jobs in their communities, bring convenience to busy lives, and invite us all the experience life around the table. Every day. In 2024, Harbor Foods again received the coveted Washington's Best Workplaces Award and recognition as one of Washington's Fastest-growing Private Companies. These accolades reflect the company's mantra of being obsessed with the success of each of its 1,200+ team members. Through its subsidiaries, Harbor Wholesale and Harbor Foodservice, the company serves over 7,000 restaurants, hospitality venues, convenience stores, and independent grocers, offering a wide selection of local and national products, business solutions, and Harbor's own Real Fresh Brands™. These brands include Scratch Dig-in-Chicken™, Mountain Fresh™, Via Vita Pizza®, Split Shift®, Watertown Craft Roasted®, Mein Street®, and Skippers®, catering to diverse culinary preferences. Additionally, Harbor Foods houses Northlink Logistics, an end-to-end third-party logistics company where their unique culture and values create a hassle-free experience.

Eric has worked at Harbor for 20 years, starting out as a Merchandiser, and eventually moving into his current role of Creative Manager. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? A: I was hired as a Merchandiser (Store Solutions today). I did that for about a year and a half. I was then asked if I was interested in working as a buyer in the Purchasing Department. I had no experience in this area, but I was eager to learn, so I accepted the job as the buyer for HABA & GM. Soon afterwards I was approached to take lead in our Planogram program called Merchandising Solutions. This was much more of a job that I was suited for, as I had a design background so I welcomed the opportunity. Planograms soon led to more design projects and this was really the birth of Marketing at Harbor. Harbor was undeniably growing and needed to evolve. Today I stand as the Creative Manager and I’m very proud of how far not only Marketing, but Harbor has come during my time here. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? A: My path within Harbor has been a little unconventional and nonlinear, but that has allowed me to gain experience in other departments and learn more about how the company works as a whole. This has only made me better at my job and allows me to see the bigger picture. Hard work opened up opportunities for me that might not have come otherwise. In the end I’m doing a job that I love and I feel lucky every day that I get to work with an amazing team and for a company that stands behind their values. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? A: 20 years Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? A: My advice for anyone looking to advance at Harbor is to find a way to make a difference. Be passionate about what you do, be the person people want to come to for answers and show your team you are eager to learn as much as you can about our business even if it’s outside of your comfort zone. Q: As a long standing employee, what do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? A: I would have to say being resourceful. Be a problem solver and always be positive….see any potential difficulty as a challenge and not a road block.

Caleb's path of progress is unique as he has held various roles and has gained knowledge along the way, which has served him well in his current role as PM Warehouse Supervisor. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? A: I started my career at Harbor as a utility worker, soon after that moved to order selector where I was able to be a part of a team which helped me develop the needed skills for leadership. I then moved to stocking and receiving where I was able to see more departments and how they worked together. I later moved to Inventory Control which gave me a much better understanding of the inner workings of our whole operation. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? A: 9 and a half years Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? A: Work hard, be reliable, and strive to embody the harbor values. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? A: Utility, order selector, stocker, receiver, inventory control, and PM supervisor. Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? A: Our core values are a great way to express what we are all about and if you have the motivation to grow within the company you will go a long way.

Through Alex's years at Harbor, he has held various roles starting as a Procurement Intern and working his way up to his current role as a Logistics Manager. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? A: My time at Harbor started in Procurement where we worked closely with the logistics department. Over time, when permitted, I was able to sit down and job-shadow the previous logistics manager allowing me to get a better understanding of the day-to-day process and the industry. I eventually started lending a hand with projects like collecting data for analysis, communicating with carriers, and stepping in where needed. This provided the experience needed to take on the Logistics Manager role when it became available. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? A: 6.5 years Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? A: Harbor allows you the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone to try new things. Communicating with your manager about something you are interested in and want to learn more about can go a long way. Whether it’s within your current department or not, they can help you find time to explore your interests. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? A: Procurement Intern, Replenishment Buyer, Pricing and Logistics Specialist, Northlink Logistics - Logistics Manager Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? A: I believe collaboration is the most important quality to succeed at Harbor. Every day you face a new challenge that requires you to problem-solve with other departments, customers, and our vendors. Having the skill of collaborating well with others leads to improved productivity, creativity, while also building strong connections. Trust is also built through collaboration which goes a long way as you continue your journey at Harbor.

Aaron's path of progress is unique as he has held various roles and has gained knowledge along the way, which has served him well in his current role as Director of Inventory Control. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? A: Growth, Learning & Flexibility. I first started as an order selector, primarily in the cooler, but was always eager to help and learn in other areas, so I sought out opportunities wherever I could. I learned how to load trucks, drive a forklift, how to stock, move trucks & trailers, to utilize the WMS. After a small handful of years developing skills, opportunities arose, and I was blessed to be offered the opportunity to join leadership as a PM Supervisor. I led the PM operation in Roseburg for about 7 years where I oversaw the order selection and shipping processes. I then transitioned to AM Manager where I acquired new knowledge & responsibilities around Receiving, Inventory Control and Replenishment. After leading the AM operation for 6yrs I was given the opportunity to take on a new challenge, where I currently reside as Director of Inventory Control for HWF. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? A: I started working for Paul Jackson Wholesale in August 2002, then transitioned over with Harbor in the 2007 acquisition. Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? A: Don’t pass on the little opportunities to gain knowledge that would reward you a new tool for your toolbelt. Be flexible, be available, be patient and absorb everything you can. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? A: Order Selector, “Dock Boss”- Lead Loader, Stocker & Outchaser, PM Warehouse Supervisor, PM Warehouse Manager, AM Warehouse Manager, and now Director of Inventory Control Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? A: Being Genuine. Any other quality or characteristic is potentially flawed if you’re not genuine.

Nikelle's path of progress is unique, as she started as an Order Selector and held various roles in between her current role as a Replenishment Buyer. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? A: I started as a part time order selector back at the Tumwater Harbor warehouse in 2009, and became full time after I graduated HS. I spent most of my time on the warehouse side being an order selector, but also worked as the “print tag girl” and the night invoicing. I was motivated to do more for Harbor, and was luckily to have leaders guide me along my way. I was promoted to Operations Administrative Assistant in 2018, and spent two years there until I felt I was ready to grow more as an employee. Ryan Phillips was a huge motivator and cheerleader in my corner when he suggested I look into the Junior Buyer position. I knew after talking over the position that this was something I was very interested in and was luckily enough to move into that position in Nov of 2021 and in Jan of 2023 was promoted to a Replenishment Buyer, which is my current role! Q: How long have you been with Harbor? A: I originally started at Harbor in 2009, when I was a Junior in HS. After I had my first child, I got the opportunity to stay home with him from Sept of 2015 through Nov of 2017. But Harbor was always a part of my life during this time, as most of my family and friends still worked there. In Dec of 2017 I came back and I just celebrated my 6 year anniversary! Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? A: Have a good attitude and patience. Some things might not work out when or how you want it, but having a good attitude about things and being your genuine self will always help guide you to your next opportunity. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? A: Order selector in multiple departments, Invoicing/ Tags, Operations Administrative Assistant, Junior Buyer, and Buyer.   Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? A: Willing to learn and trying new things. Harbor has a lot of amazing positions and career opportunities and trying something new could lead you to somewhere you didn’t expect and absolutely love it!

Through Keaton's years here at Harbor, he started as an Order Selector, working various roles in between, and moving to his current role as a Regional Sales Manager. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? A: Order Selector, Store Solutions Representative and Lead SSR, Territory Sales Manager, and currently a Regional Sales Manager Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? A: In 2013, I began my Harbor career as an Order Selector at the Lacey Warehouse. I finished my first two years of college in 2015 and I knew that Harbor was where I wanted to be going forward. My work ethic was developed from my time in the warehouse and I was ready to use those skills and core values in another role. From there I moved into a sales role as a Store Solutions Representative which laid the foundation for my next position. I was mentored and coached by a few key people, Patricia Janssen, Chris Spanjer and David Pilon to further my career into the sales world. In 2019, I took a position as a Territory Sales Manager and moved to Portland! I worked along the beautiful Columbia River Gorge as I grew my territory and made many wonderful relationships with our customers. In March of 2023, I was ready to take another leap in my career and moved into my current position as Regional Sales Manager of LDC-Portland. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? A: Since April of 2013 Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? A: Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Be confident and push yourself to be your very best self. Another piece of advice is to build genuine relationships with those around you. Harbor is a not just a workplace but a family. We all want to surround ourselves with friendly people, so be exactly that! Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? A: Be eager to learn from those around you! Harbor has an immense amount of incredibly talented people and to learn from them is your best resource.

Tabitha's path of progress in unique in that she transitioned roles in a short amount of time, starting as an Item & Pricing Analyst and moving to her current role as a Promotional Analyst. Q: How did you make the transition from where you started to where you are now? A: I started at Harbor Wholesale on the Purchasing Department's Item & Pricing team. There I learned a tremendous amount about the department as a whole and started to learn a lot more about other departments. As Harbor grew and the dynamics of the department evolved, it became evident that there was a need for a dedicated role focused on promotions. Ultimately, I pursued the newly established position, which allowed a more focused use of my knowledge and interests and more specialized learning and development within the deals and promotions side of Harbor. Q: How long have you been with Harbor? A: I recently celebrated my fourth anniversary with Harbor. Q: Any advice for advancing your career at Harbor? A: Don't be afraid to be vocal about ideas and suggestions! Given Harbor's continuous growth, those contributions play a tremendous role in positive changes. Speaking up with your good ideas, and taking initiative toward implementing them, is a great way to get your skills noticed and recognized. Q: What roles have you held at Harbor? A: Item & Pricing Analyst and Promotional Analyst Q: What do you think is the most important quality to have to get your career started at Harbor? A: Effective communication and adaptability. Things tend to move quickly around here at times, and the ability to communicate clearly goes a long way. And having the flexibility to pivot directions, doesn't hurt either.