Mr. Reiter is a fourth generation California berry farmer. He has carried on the family tradition of bringing innovation and growth to the production and marketing of fresh berries. He joined the family’s farming operation, a significant participant in Driscoll’s, immediately after graduating from Princeton University. A few years later, he launched the family’s raspberry and blackberry breeding and development effort. In 1988, he became Chairman of Driscoll’s, a position he still holds today. At that time, Driscoll’s was a California strawberry marketing and breeding company with a very strong trade brand. Under his leadership, the company expanded into blueberries and merged with the Reiters’ industry-leading raspberry and blackberry company. Driscoll’s developed year-round supply capability by expanding into Mexico, Florida, and South America. The company also developed the clamshell packaging that better protected the fruit, significantly improved merchandising opportunities and transformed Driscoll’s into a consumer brand. The company has since pursued a market-leading position globally in fresh berries with operations in six continents and 22 countries. He has been, and always will be, thoroughly dedicated to producing and marketing fruit with an eating quality that truly delights consumers.
Mr. Reiter was honored as Santa Cruz County’s Farmer of the Year in 1989, The Packer Global Produce Marketer of the Year in 2006, and received the Award of Honor from Western Growers in 2016. He currently serves on several non-profit and private company boards. As the current Chairman and CEO of Driscoll’s, he has been very involved in efforts to sustain groundwater resources in agricultural areas. He has also passionately committed much of his time and effort into transforming his home county of Santa Cruz, California from an auto congested mess into a leading active transportation community.