Calavo Growers, Inc. Board of Directors Elects New Chair

SANTA PAULA, Calif., Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calavo Growers, Inc. (Nasdaq-GS: CVGW), a global avocado-industry leader and provider of value-added fresh food, today announced that its Board of Directors has elected Farha Aslam as its Chair effective immediately.

"I am honored to serve as Chair of Calavo Growers, and I appreciate the opportunity to play an integral role in this 100-year-old company," Ms. Aslam said. "Calavo has a heritage of leadership in the avocado industry, and today it is capitalizing on its position in this attractive category with robust consumer demand. The Company is well positioned for growth given its strong relationships with growers and customers, attractive assets, solid balance sheet and perhaps most importantly, its team of dynamic, committed people."

Steven Hollister, the outgoing Chair, will remain on the Board of Directors where he has served since 2008. He also served as Interim Chief Executive Officer in 2021.

"It has been a privilege to serve as Chairman of Calavo Growers," Mr. Hollister said. "Farha has my full support. She is an astute leader and brings the perspective of an investor and a Wall Street analyst to the table, which is good for the Board, good for Calavo's leadership team and good for investors."

"The Board and I thank Steve for his service as Chair," Ms. Aslam said. "We are grateful that we will continue to benefit from his talent and valuable experience."

Ms. Aslam is Managing Partner at Crescent House Capital, an investment and strategic advisory firm she founded that focuses on the agriculture, energy, and food processing industries. She has worked in the finance industry since 1996. Prior to founding Crescent House in 2019, she was Managing Director at Stephens Inc., where she led the firm's Food and Agribusiness equity research team and built a top tier research franchise that spanned the grain, ethanol, protein, and packaged food sectors and successfully positioned several lead managed equity offerings and debt financings. Previously, Ms. Aslam was a vice president at Merrill Lynch and a risk management advisor at UBS. She graduated from the University of California with a bachelor's degree in economics and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University.

About Calavo Growers, Inc.

Calavo Growers, Inc. (NASDAQ:CVGW) is a global leader in the processing and distribution of avocados, tomatoes, papayas and guacamole. Calavo products are sold under the trusted Calavo brand name, proprietary sub-brands, private label and store brands. Founded in 1924, Calavo has a rich culture of innovation, sustainable practices and market growth. The company serves retail grocery, foodservice, club stores, mass merchandisers, food distributors and wholesalers worldwide. Calavo is headquartered in Santa Paula, California, with facilities throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Learn more about The Family of Fresh™ at calavo.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements relating to future events and results of Calavo (future growth and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements," as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. These statements are based on our current expectations and are not promises or guarantees. If any of the risks or uncertainties materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, the results of Calavo may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. The use of words such as "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "intends," "plans" and "believes," among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, any projections of revenue, gross profit, expenses, income/(loss) from unconsolidated entities, earnings, earnings per share, tax provisions, cash flows and currency exchange rates; the impact of acquisitions or debt or equity investments or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, including execution of restructuring and integration (including information technology systems integration) plans; any statements regarding current or future macroeconomic trends or events and the impact of those trends and events on Calavo and its financial performance; statements regarding pending internal or external investigations, legal claims or tax disputes; and any statements of expectation or belief; any statements about future risks associated with doing business internationally (including possible restrictive U.S. and foreign governmental actions, such as restrictions on transfers of funds, restrictions as a result of trade protection measures such as import/export/customs duties, tariffs and/or quotas).

Risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: the ability of our management team to work together successfully; the impact of weather on market conditions; seasonality of our business; sensitivity of our business to changes in market prices of avocados and other agricultural products and other raw materials including fuel, packaging and paper; changes or actions associated with USDA-APHIS and the Mexican Secretary of Agriculture, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) phytosanitary regulations (certification regulation for the importation of Hass avocados to the United States); potential disruptions to our supply chain; risks associated with potential future acquisitions, including integration; potential exposure to data breaches and other cyber-attacks on our systems or those of our suppliers or customers; dependence on large customers; dependence on key personnel and access to labor necessary for us to render services; susceptibility to wage inflation; potential for labor disputes; reliance on co-packers for a portion of our production needs; competitive pressures, including from foreign growers; risks of recalls and food-related injuries to our customers; changing consumer preferences; the impact of environmental regulations, including those related to climate change; risks associated with the environment and climate change, especially as they may affect our sources of supply; our ability to develop and transition new products and services and enhance existing products and services to meet customer needs, including but not limited to the new guacamole products referenced in this press release; risks associated with doing business internationally (including possible non-compliance with U.S. and foreign laws applicable to international trade and dealings and possible restrictive U.S. and foreign governmental actions, such as restrictions on transfers of funds and trade protection measures such as import/export/customs duties, tariffs and/or quotas and currency fluctuations); risks associated with receivables from, loans to and/or equity investments in unconsolidated entities; volatility in the value of our common stock; the impact of macroeconomic trends and events; the effects of increased interest rates on our cost of borrowing and consumer purchasing behavior; the resolution of pending internal and external investigations, legal claims and tax disputes, including an assessment imposed by the Mexican Tax Administrative Service (the "SAT") and our defenses against collection activities commenced by the SAT; and our ability to realize the expected expense savings from the sale of the Fresh Cut business.

For further discussion of these risks and uncertainties and other risks and uncertainties that we face, please see the risk factors described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any subsequent updates that may be contained in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.