Larry Cox, owner of Lawrence Cox Ranches in Brawley, California, became the new chairman of Western Growers. Cox assumed the reigns from Vic Smith, President and CEO of JVSmith Companies in Yuma, Arizona. The transition took place at the board meeting yesterday which occurred during the 90th Annual Meeting being held in San Diego. He will officially take over the duties of chairman at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. Cox was first elected to the board in 2009.
Cox founded Lawrence Cox Ranches in 1984 expanding a 70-acre cotton field in Imperial Valley into an operation that now farms on 3,300 acres and produces all types of lettuce, melons, onions, asparagus, wheat alfalfa, grains, hay and seed crops. The company also has farming operations in Mexico.
Cox received a bachelor’s degree in crop science from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.
The Board also selected Samuel Duda, vice president of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, California as Senior Vice Chairman; Craig Reade, partner at Bonipak Produce, Santa Maria, California as Vice Chairman; Garland Reiter, CEO of Reiter Affiliated Companies, Santa Barbara, California as Secretary; and Carol Chandler, partner at Chandler Farms, Selma, California as Treasurer.
