Essex County tomato processor Thomas Utopia Brand has appointed a new vice-president and chief operating officer.
Brian Payne is taking the position after first being introduced to the company through an assignment with the Windsor Essex Development Corporation. He had been tasked with developing a strategy to reduce the impact of the Heinz plant closure.
In that position, Payne worked with Utopia and more than 70 other businesses across Essex and Kent counties to assess risk and opportunities.
“Brian has been committed to Utopia’s continued success and global expansion, there is no doubt Brian will remain an instrumental part of Utopia’s Global expansion strategy,” said Bill Thomas, president and CEO of Thomas Canning.
Payne comes on board shortly after the company struck a $25-million export deal last year with Nigeria and grabbed $3 million in funding from the provincial government to support expanded operations in the region.
“Through my initial work with the region and evaluation of the effects of the Heinz closure, Thomas Canning and the Utopia Brand made it clear they would become a catalyst to support the repositioning of Windsor-Essex as a global player in the tomato processing industry,” said Payne. “This commitment is what led me to my decision to become a part of the Thomas Canning and Utopia brand team.”
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