Packaged salad pioneer Steve Taylor of Salinas dies at 67

SALINAS — Steve Taylor, a pioneer in the bagged salad industry and portion of the Taylor household of Salinas Valley agriculture, died Sunday in Denver at the age of 67.

Mr. Taylor was born and raised in Salinas, where by he attended Salinas Superior Faculty until finally 1973 ahead of continuing his instruction at UC Berkeley, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1978 and Harvard Business enterprise College where by he acquired a Learn of Business Administration diploma in 1985.

In 1987, Mr. Taylor joined Refreshing Express in which he led the creation and improvement of the packaged salad sector.

The enterprise was founded by Bruce Church Inc., a company launched by Bruce Church of Salinas. When Church died, his son-in-regulation Edward “Ted” Taylor took charge. Taylor developed Purple Coach Foodstuff in 1978, selling packaged shredded lettuce and other uncooked produce to food stuff-provider firms.

In 1981, Ted Taylor asked his son, Mr. Taylor, to head the effort to offer packaged salads to the retail marketplace. But the supplies needed for a productive extended shelf lifetime did not exist. Immediately after two several years, Mr. Taylor left for other pursuits such as earning his Harvard diploma. He returned to the household small business in 1987, exactly where he located substantial development experienced been created in the variety of packaging required for the company’s products. Red Mentor was renamed New Specific and the business place its bodyweight behind its buyer-packaged salad product and bit by bit obtained momentum more than the ensuing many years. Amongst 1991 and 1994, New Express amplified revenues virtually 6-fold with the retail small business top the way.

Mr. Taylor would go on to turn into chairman and CEO of Contemporary Express in 1993 immediately after his father died in 1991. Through his management, the firm attained a settlement in its a long time-extended conflict with the United Farm Workers of The united states, and in 1996 a new five-year agreement was last but not least signed. After constructing the enterprise up to $550 million in income, it offered in 2001 for about $300 million. Mr. Taylor would stay on briefly as CEO before transferring on.

In 2006, Mr. Taylor and associates from Fresh Convey invested in a turnaround vegetable enterprise and started Natural Woman natural salads.

Born Dec. 29, 1954, Mr. Taylor leaves driving Kate, his spouse of 43 several years, as effectively as their three youngsters and their spouses. He was affectionately identified as “Papi” to his 9 grandchildren who were generally referred to as his “rugrats,” and who he loved to race down ski slopes. Mr. Taylor was an avid San Francisco 49ers enthusiast, a Cal Bears lover, as effectively as a UCLA Bruins supporter where by his a few small children all attended faculty. He listened to San Francisco Giants baseball online games on the radio while paying out time with his relatives in the yard of the spouse and children house.