Revol Greens introduces industry veteran as new COO

Owatonna, Minnesota-based Revol Greens announced April 7 the hiring of Alan Applonie as chief operating officer. Well-known within the produce industry, Applonie was a fixture at one of the most respected field farming operations in the United States, Taylor Farms, and was an integral part of the company’s evolution and success during his 20-year tenure.

Applonie was hand-selected to lead end-to-end facility operations for Revol Greens’ network of sustainable greenhouse locations coast-to-coast. He has extensive experience in running multi-location enterprise operations from seeding to post-harvest and production.

Applonie will play a critical leadership role, bringing a wealth of expertise having developed and operated processing facilities within a diverse lettuce category that continues to evolve broadly from commodity offerings toward value-added,” Michael Wainscott, Revol Greens CEO, said in a news release. “As we continue to invest in technology and sustainable farming, I know Alan will make a significant impact throughout our entire enterprise by building upon the foundation of knowledge that has been well refined over 20 years of learnings with a best-in-class operator.”

Applonie will plan, direct, coordinate, and oversee all operational activities, ensuring the development and implementation of efficient operations and cost-effective systems to meet current and future needs for Revol Greens.

“I’m honored to join such a remarkable team of leaders at Revol Greens,” said Applonie. “Leading and driving the organization’s vision, mission, and core values in an industry that I’ve known intimately for almost 30 years. I certainly understand the complexities within large-scale farming operations and look forward to making an impact as we continue to grow. Revol Greens is an esteemed CEA industry leader and I know we will continue to revolutionize the future path for agriculture.”

Prior to Revol, Applonie was the chief operating officer of Trans Canna for almost three years, following a 20-year career at Taylor Farms, beginning in 2008 as plant manager and working his way through the ranks as general manager, COO, and most recently as vice president operations for Taylor Farms Pacific with operational responsibility for a $300+ million national fresh food operation.

Revol Greens is a large greenhouse lettuce grower in North America. With locations in California, Georgia, Minnesota and Texas, Revol Greens harvests and delivers its packaged lettuce products within one day, resulting in the freshest taste and peak nutrition with a shelf life four to six days longer than out-of-state greens.

Revol Greens adopts the most advanced greenhouse technology and growing methods in the industry, including facilities that use 90 percent less water than traditional field-grown greens, irrigation from UV-sterilized water, and sustainable sunlight. Grown Clean and Green in an animal and pest-free environment, no pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals are used in the process.

Revol Greens grows more than 13 million pounds of non-GMO lettuces annually. For more information, visit www.revolgreens.com and follow Revol on social media @revolgreens.