Credits Staff Contributions to Continued Growth
Glennville, GA; February 1, 2023 – G&R Farms, a third generation premier Vidalia Onion grower in southeast Georgia, has announced the promotion of two senior team members, Steven Shuman and Cliff Riner, to executive level management.
Steven Shuman joined G&R farms in 2016 and has been instrumental in the business development and customer service of G&R’s sweet onion programs. He began with the company as sales manager and later director of sales. With his latest promotion, Steven will be serving as the general manager and vice president of sales. “During my tenure I’ve watched G&R grow into a leading supplier thanks to team tenacity and a willingness to try new things. I’m humbled by the recognition and new role and ready to help move the company to the next level,” Shuman said.
Newly promoted vice president of ag production and grower relations, Cliff Riner, joined G&R farms in 2018 as the research and development manager, eventually moving up to director of production where he managed seed trials, conducted soil analyses, oversaw onion planting, and assisted sustainability efforts, especially related to pesticides and fertilizers. His advancements in those areas have earned him his latest promotion as he continues to expand the quality programming for G&R. Riner remarked, “I have the best job in the world as I get to blend my science and production skills into a job that lets me play in the dirt to create the best food.” Riner continued, “I appreciate that G&R has been open to supporting innovative ideas in research and testing to continue to deliver on our mission and bring innovation to the forefront.”
CEO Blake Dasher capped off the promotions by saying, “G&R Farms is a third-generation family business and it’s the people who have made it possible.” Dasher continued, “Enough can’t be said about the contributions Steven and Cliff make to grow their roles and the company, and to improve process, assert leadership, and deliver on our promise of quality and service that is embedded into the culture of who we are as a company.”
G&R is a leading sweet onion supplier offering year supply of sweet onions from Vidalia and Peru and they are known for their signature Growing America’s Farmer cause marketing campaign. Currently, they are in the final stages of installation of a state of the art product line, 8 years in the making, drastically improving efficiencies and product quality, lowering costs. They also broke records in 2022 raising over $100,000 in scholarship funds for their Growing America’s Farmers retailer program and successfully completed their third Season of Giving retailer program, in support of local charities.