"It happened by accident and it stuck.”
Randy Scott lets this sentiment sit in the air between us when I ask him where the draw to fresh produce came from. The story he tells me feels more like a tug from fresh produce itself, a desire for the universe to tailor Randy’s path to a predetermined arrival. And thankful we are.
I could also argue that these doors that opened for Randy were no accident, but a perspective that Randy holds—an innate ability to perceive more “accidents” as opportunities rather than roadblocks. Paths to be traveled where some might have seen walls to sequester this now 40-plus-year industry veteran.
“I have no regrets. Zero,” Randy tells me. “Every move I’ve made—and more than a couple of them were risky—I was happy with. Each of those decisions led to something else that profoundly changed the course of my career and my life. It is hard to sum up in words how to sign off from such a journey. Thank you to thousands of friends, colleagues, and industry members who have impacted me and helped me along the way. It has been an amazing run and I wish each of them the best.”
Randy retired from his post as Senior Category Manager of Produce at Sprouts Farmers Market this past August, completing a career legacy that touched the lives of so many and left an indelible impact on the way fresh produce makes its way to market.
When I ask Randy to start at the beginning, the conversation goes quiet. I appreciate these meaning-filled silences from him—an element of conversation so difficult to find these days.
“I grew up in a little small town in Texas called Mabank. In fact, that’s where I just moved back to three months ago. We built a house on our old family farmland, and I literally came back home after being gone for 45 years,” Randy reflects. “We have had the land since the early 1900s. My dad was born here. Grew up here. I grew up here, and then I left when I graduated high school and was ready to get to the big city. I swore I would never come back, but here I am,” he says, letting a smile linger before exploring the rest of his journey with me.
Randy graduated from high school in 1978 and explored a little bit of college here and there, but knew right away what kind of student he was: one of the real world in action.
“I needed to work more than I needed to learn,” he tells me. “I got married soon after that and my kids were born. In 1983, I needed a better-paying job than what I had. Affiliated Foods, Dallas Division, had just built a new warehouse in Keller, Texas. I got a job in the warehouse unloading and checking in trucks. A couple of years down the road, I began to learn how to look at and receive produce.”
Around the time that the company went bankrupt, a little company called Food Lion came to Texas. Randy was one of the first 10 employees hired there in that warehouse where he worked as a supervisor and an inspector managing quality control.
“I learned a little bit about the buying side of the industry after that, handling some of what we call local buying, short buys, fill-ins—things like that. I got a little feel for it. The passion began to sink in,” he recalls. “When Food Lion closed the Texas division in ’97, I got a call from Mike Agostini, who had been Food Lion’s Director of Produce and Floral at the time, and he suggested I move out to North Carolina to join the corporate office.”
Randy always thought of himself as a Texas guy—so the move took some time to sink in.
“I figured I would stay a couple of years, and I stayed 18; 24 years total with Food Lion,” Randy says, smiling to himself.
In 2015, Randy received a call from Cory Oliver, who was with Sprouts Farmers Market and asked, “Hey, you ready to move home? I have a spot open in Texas with Sprouts.”
Randy’s response: Let’s do it.
“Every move I’ve made—and more than a couple of them were risky—I was happy with. Each of those decisions led to something else that profoundly changed the course of my career and my life.”
Randy Scott, Retired Senior Category Manager of Produce, Sprouts Farmers Market
During Randy’s time with Sprouts—where he began as Senior Manager of Produce Sourcing before assuming the title of Senior Category Manager of Produce—he managed the day-to-day operations that helped to build the company into the amazing and dynamic retail space it has been over the past eight years. In the middle of his stay with Sprouts, he also did his own food brokering and explored other avenues of growth before returning to the company just a few years ago.
During his final tenure with the organic-focused grocer, Randy leaned heavily into all the knowledge and expertise he had gleaned over 40 years, pulling together contracts, determining what Sprouts was going to carry, who the organization was going to buy from, and what it was promoting—all in all, Sprouts’ retail strategy.
“Sprouts was a great organization to work for and an amazing way to wrap up my retail career,” Randy shares. “I am so thankful for these rare opportunities that came my way. This has always been a people business and I think that is why I have been able to thrive here.”
This brings us back to our previous discussion about how lucky accidents led Randy to his path on the road to and in produce.
“Really, I just needed a job and they were paying good money in the warehouse. That was all I knew; I was still in my early 20s then. The more I got connected in produce, the more I realized how fast-paced and fun it was. There was always a lot going on and it stuck,” Randy expresses. “Not everybody’s cut out to be in produce. It’s going to take you a year or two to figure out if you love it or if you hate it. If you love it, then you’re going to have a really good career. My advice to others in the industry and those looking to join it has always been: Stand by your word. Keep the people part of it in place. Don’t hide behind emails. Don’t hide behind texts. Pick up your phone and take in-person meetings.”
We sit here for a moment, looking out over the grand story of Randy’s life in fresh produce. I imagine what alternate road may have appeared if all of those small forks in his journey and telephone calls never happened. So, I asked Randy what pivotal moment on his path really cemented him in the industry.
“It was probably when I had to make a decision of moving to North Carolina, because that meant my route—and my home base—was going to change forever,” Randy remembers. “I had never worked in a corporate office in my life at that point and I was going to move across the country and help run what were nearly 1,200 stores at the time. Sure, I had done a little bit of buying and warehouse management—but this was a huge shift in not only my day-to-day but the expertise I was going to need to strengthen. The question became: Is this really what I want to do?”
As the tale tells, Randy took to that new path, which took him from Produce Buyer to Procurement Manager, then Category Manager at Food Lion.
“Ever since I made the decision to leave Texas, I’ve had an interchanging of various roles over the years,” Randy says.
With that reflection, Randy ties together the length of path he has laid out before us.
“When I came back to Sprouts, I didn’t have a lot of years left. I was about to be 60, and I had always insisted that 65 was my max number,” he says, wrapping the exclamation in a kind laugh. “I wasn’t going to be that guy who worked until they put the first dirt over my head and buried me. I always knew that it was not going to be a long-term deal.”
Andrew McGregor, Vice President of Produce and Floral for Sprouts, and Robby Cruz, the Director of Produce at the time, both had asked numerous times, “What are you thinking? How long are you going to stay around?” and Randy always told both of them, “I’m going to do it ’til it’s not fun. And oh, by the way, the caveat is fun ends at 65.”
This time, it is my laugh that creates a pause in his story.
While most people would say that this is Randy’s chance to turn the page to the next chapter, Randy tells me, “No, it’s not the next chapter.”
As Randy puts it, this is actually the next book.
“When I started working at Food Lion in 1999, it didn’t have a very strong produce department. I was pleasantly surprised to meet Randy and so encouraged with his knowledge of the produce industry. It was an honor to work beside him for 14 years. His sense of humor and Texan demeanor always kept things hopping in the office. I so admired his knowledge in both the buying and supply-side of produce. He was always the problem solver on the team and fixed things fast and did it right. I know Randy will love retirement as he becomes a full-fledged cowboy, and I will always consider him my good friend.”
“Randy and I have known each other over 30 years and have been friends for roughly 20. Randy, back then, was a tough nut to crack. We spent 10 years earning each other’s trust in our vendor/buyer relationship. All great friendships are earned and I’m so appreciative to call him a friend. Over the years, we would sit for hours deep in produce conversations, me mostly as the student. The flood gates of knowledge would come pouring out based on his experience of boots on the ground rather than a spreadsheet. I remember recently at a food show listening to him speak details of varieties and specifications of the whole melon category. I hung on every word. He was this industry’s professor, and we all were his students. Most importantly for retirement, he’s a single-digit handicap. Another impressive skill.”
“Randy is my dear friend. It didn’t start out that way. OMG! We had heated arguments over how systems should work, how produce is different from everything else in the grocery store, etc. But those arguments made me think about his perspective and how we could address the issues in front of us. Randy taught me a great deal, not just about produce but about people. We didn’t always think alike but we both wanted the best outcome no matter the situation. Almost 20-plus years later, Randy still teaches me. I’m not sure how my career would have looked without those arguments. Randy, you are so very dear to me and I thank you for the lessons and trust you gave me. You deserve this time. Enjoy Tammy and your family, but don’t forget us in North Carolina.”
“Randy hired me to work for him right out of college, and I have him to thank for a career in grocery retail. I knew very little about the produce industry but was eager to learn and he was a willing teacher! Randy expanded my industry knowledge and became a trusted confidante as our careers matured. He has worked hard to create the life that he has, and I wish him a retirement full of joy! Congratulations my friend—embrace every moment!”
“Randy informed me at this year’s Organic Produce Summit that he’s ‘hanging up his spurs’ after nearly four decades. It’s hard to believe I’ve known him for more than half that time. There is no doubt that he’ll be missed by many. Randy is a fair buyer and a solid produce professional. He understands and enjoys the breadth and depth of his relationships, and at the same time knows how to make the tough calls that are best for his employers’ businesses. On a more personal note, he’s just a great guy; fun to be around and his million-dollar smile makes one feel welcome. No doubt his golf game will get even better in retirement, and his family will enjoy seeing more of him. Randy, thank you for your friendship and professionalism over the years, my friend!”
“Randy came on the United Fresh Board in 2012 when he was at Food Lion, and immediately showed a leadership role. He had already served on our Retail-Foodservice Board, where he always supported strong partnerships between retailers and their suppliers. Randy became Chairman of the Retail-Foodservice Board in 2014, which brought him onto the United Executive Committee. As an Executive Committee member, he helped develop an overall strategy for the association on everything from public policy issues to trade shows and conventions. More than just work, however, I always enjoyed Randy’s company and positive spirit more than anything else. Whether in the boardroom or often on the golf course, Randy was a positive force, always smiling and supporting his peers. He was clearly the best golfer on the Board, but he welcomed playing with us ‘amateurs.’ Now that he’s retiring, I hope Randy will give me another golf lesson soon.”
“Randy Scott’s retirement is emblematic and represents a generation of hard-working and dedicated produce leaders that are marking a distinguished and transformational era in our industry, while passing the torch to the next generation of leaders. As a Category Manager for both Food Lion and Sprouts, Randy was very strategic, while unyielding in his pursuit of quality and service. Randy’s collaborative support and guidance have been instrumental in shaping me professionally and strengthening my trust that the buyer/seller can have a common and mutually shared mission and vision together. I will always be grateful for his impact and friendship. Randy was a mentor to many and his legacy will continue to inspire and shape the future of our industry.”
“Randy is a tremendous supermarket leader and one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to fresh produce merchandising and marketing. A lot of this has to do with his desire to always learn about what’s happening with consumers and applying those insights to go-to-market strategies and tactics. Beyond his grocery expertise, what I will always appreciate about him is his humility and genuine kindness as a colleague, family man, and friend. I wish he, his wife, Tammy, and their family nothing but continued happiness as Randy enjoys a well-deserved and -earned retirement.” 
