How we helped Frulact scale their US commercial team ahead of major facility launch

Frulact Case Study: Building a US Commercial Team to Support Manufacturing Expansion

Overview

Frulact is a global manufacturer of fruit-based ingredients and solutions for the food and beverage industry. Headquartered in Portugal, the company develops high-quality fruit preparations, purees, concentrates, and natural flavour solutions used across dairy, ice cream, bakery, confectionery, and beverage applications.

Following strong growth in North America, Frulact made a multi-million dollar investment in a new manufacturing facility in Logan, Utah, scheduled to open in July 2024. With increased production capacity on the horizon, the business needed to expand its US commercial team to support new customer growth.

To capitalise quickly on this investment, Frulact partnered with Paragon Talent to recruit three senior sales professionals with deep experience in the B2B flavour and ingredient market.

Specific Requirements for the Search

Frulact required experienced commercial professionals capable of strengthening relationships with existing customers while driving new business growth.

The ideal candidates needed:

A proven sales track record within the B2B flavour and ingredient industry
Strong knowledge of key customer channels, including dairy, ice cream, and foodservice
Experience selling fruit preparations, flavour solutions, or similar ingredient portfolios
A balanced background across account management and new business development
Strong collaboration skills to work effectively across commercial and technical teams

Our Approach

Stakeholder Alignment

We conducted detailed briefing sessions with stakeholders across Frulact’s US commercial team and global headquarters in Portugal, ensuring a clear understanding of the roles, reporting structure, and commercial objectives.

Strategic Search Planning

Working closely with leadership, we identified target companies and competitors where professionals with the required experience were most likely to be found.

Market Mapping

A comprehensive mapping exercise identified 138 potential candidates across the United States, covering both active and passive professionals within the relevant ingredient markets.

Targeted Outreach

From the initial longlist, we approached a curated group of candidates with transparent insights into:

Frulact’s growth strategy
The new Utah manufacturing investment
The long-term career opportunity within the business

Screening & Shortlisting

Following rigorous interviews and candidate assessments, we presented a shortlist of 12 qualified professionals, each including:

CVs
Executive summaries
Video introductions
Behavioural assessments
Interview & Offer Management

We coordinated a structured three-stage interview process, narrowing the shortlist to three final candidates and managing the full offer negotiation process.

Results

The project successfully delivered 3 high-calibre senior commercial hires, strengthening Frulact’s US sales capability ahead of the new manufacturing facility opening.

Successful placements included:

Blake Blackner
David Casillas
Glenn Durflinger

These professionals brought significant industry networks, technical understanding, and commercial experience to Frulact’s North American business, positioning the company to maximise the impact of its manufacturing expansion.

Client Testimonial

Uwe Schnell

"I’m excited to recommend Jamie as he launches his new business. Having worked with him on three successful candidate searches in 2024, I’ve seen firsthand his professionalism, industry expertise, and commitment to finding the perfect fit. We’ve stayed in regular contact over the years, and his integrity and results-driven approach continue to impress me. I’m confident his new venture will thrive and highly recommend him as a recruitment partner."

Candidate Testimonials

Blake Blackner

"Jamie was fantastic to work with. It was like working with a long-time friend. Jamie is a great listener and provides logical feedback and recommendations. I highly recommend Jamie."

David Casillas

"From day one Jamie was extremely professional and methodical in his approach. Despite being based in the UK, his knowledge of the US market and global connections were impressive. He provided preparation before every interview and timely feedback after each stage. Throughout the process I felt confident in his ability to maximise my value and secure the right opportunity."

Glenn Durflinger

"Jamie is a consummate professional who was invaluable in my most recent search for a new role."

Key Takeaways

This search demonstrates the value of sector expertise and targeted recruitment strategies when building commercial teams in specialised ingredient markets.

Key success factors included:

Deep understanding of the fruit ingredient and flavour markets
Extensive US ingredient industry network
Structured search methodology and proactive candidate engagement
Close collaboration with both US and European leadership teams

As a result, Frulact successfully strengthened its North American commercial organisation ahead of a major manufacturing investment, enabling faster market expansion and customer growth.

About Paragon Talent

Paragon Talent is a specialist recruitment consultancy connecting high-growth manufacturing businesses with senior leadership, commercial, technical, and operational talent.

We operate exclusively across ingredients-led sectors, including:

Our deep sector expertise, global network, and hands-on recruitment approach allow us to deliver high-quality hires quickly and discreetly, helping businesses build high-performing teams and accelerate growth.

About the Author

Jamie Pickup is the Founder and Director of Paragon Talent, specialising in executive search across the flavour, fragrance, food ingredient, and pharmaceutical ingredient sectors.

With nearly 15 years of experience in the industry, Jamie has built a strong track record of helping global manufacturing and ingredient businesses recruit commercial leaders, technical specialists, and operational executives across Europe, the United States, and other international markets.

FAQs

Q. How does Paragon Talent identify top candidates in the ingredient sector?
A. We combine market mapping, targeted outreach, and deep sector networks to identify both active and passive professionals with the required technical and commercial expertise.

Q. Do you recruit internationally?
A. Yes. We support recruitment projects across Europe, North America, and other global ingredient markets, helping clients build international teams.

Q. How quickly can specialist roles be filled?
A. Timelines vary depending on role complexity, but our industry network and proactive approach often allow us to deliver qualified candidates within weeks rather than months.

Q. What types of roles do you specialise in?
A. We recruit across senior leadership, commercial, technical, and operational positions within ingredients-led industries.

Q. What industries do you focus on?
A. Our core focus areas include flavours, fragrance, speciality ingredients, pharmaceutical ingredients, and nutraceuticals.

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