Western Grocer Serving the industry since 1916
Montreal, QC, 1 April 2026 – Equifruit, North America’s leading Fairtrade-certified banana importer and certified B Corp, is delighted to announce that Owain Hoefle has joined the company as Sales Manager, Western North America. Based in British Columbia, Hoefle will be responsible for developing key retail relationships across Canada and the United States.
Hoefle brings extensive experience in produce, floral and grocery to the role. During his 17 years at Pattison Food Group, he rose through the ranks from store-level operations to Director of Produce, Floral and Bulk, a role in which he developed deep expertise in category management and retail produce programs. He most recently served as Key Account Manager at Rainbow Greenhouses. Having worked on both the operational and commercial sides of grocery retail, Hoefle has a firsthand understanding of what it takes to build and sustain successful produce programs at scale.
“After two decades building relationships across retail, you develop a clear sense of what a great brand looks like, and Equifruit has built something genuinely worth representing”, said Hoefle. “I look forward to bringing that story to more retailers across Western North America and growing a program that delivers real impact for farmers and communities.”
“Owain brings deep roots in Western Canadian produce and experience building retail relationships in the markets we’re growing in”, said Kim Chackal, VP of Sales and Marketing and Co-owner of Equifruit. “We’ve long believed that the right people make all the difference in bringing Equifruit Fairtrade bananas to more shelves, and Owain is exactly the kind of seasoned, values-aligned team-member who can do that.”
Hoefle joins Equifruit as the company continues its rapid growth across North America. Recently named to The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Women-Led Companies list for the second consecutive year, Equifruit has expanded its Canadian footprint through a partnership with Pattison Food Group.
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About Equifruit
Established in 2006, Equifruit is North America’s leading Fairtrade-certified banana importer and marketer. We’re a growing produce aisle sweetheart: a certified B Corp, and proudly women-owned. We’re righting the wrongs of banana business history by making fair pay for banana farmers as interesting, followable and loved as pop culture. Stay tuned for our Global Fairtrade Banana Domination. Linkedln, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube
Press Contact:
Georgia Crump
1-833-511-3247
