Bruce Taylor

When it comes to putting farm-fresh produce on America's dining tables, Bruce Taylor may just be the salad king. He serves as chairman and CEO of Taylor Fresh, also known as Taylor Farms, the largest producer of salads and fresh-cut vegetables in North America.  

The third generation of an agricultural family, Taylor was raised in the agricultural heart of California's Salinas Valley. He founded Taylor Fresh Foods in 1995 with the goal of becoming North America's favorite maker of salads and healthy, fresh foods. The company has grown to operate 19 production locations across North America, feeding an estimated one in three people each week.  

Taylor Farms opened its first Arizona-based salad plant in Yuma in 1997. The company was one of the original industry partners to help launch the University of Arizona's Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture.

Under Taylor's leadership, Taylor Farms invests over $15 million each year in philanthropy focused on enhancing education opportunities, character building and career preparation for students, and rebuilding community infrastructure.  

Taylor serves on the boards of Mission Produce and the Western Growers Association and is the past chairman of the International Fresh Produce Association, Produce Marketing Association, Western Growers Association, National Steinbeck Center, Ag Against Hunger and YPO's Barbary Coast Chapter.  

While on the Western Growers Association's science and technology committee, Taylor advocated for the California Leafy Green Products Handler Marketing Agreement, a coalition of California and Arizona farmers formed after a 2007 E. coli outbreak. Associated growers, who together produce approximately 90% of the leafy greens grown in the U.S., have voluntary, USDA-certified audits throughout the season to ensure compliance with food safety practices. While the Western Growers chair, Taylor also helped launch the WG Center for Innovation and Technology in Salinas, California.

When Taylor was chairman of the Produce Marketing Association, his company co-founded and provided initial funding for the Center for Produce Safety in Woodland, California, which is focused on providing the produce industry with information on enhancing the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. As the inaugural chairman of the International Fresh Produce Association, Taylor helped guide a significant increase in engaging with and educating federal government staff, legislators and regulators to invest in nutrition and healthy diets for Americans.

A longtime supporter of the University of Arizona, Taylor has donated more than $1.2 million to support the Arizona Experiment Station, Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, Steele Children's Research Center, Ag100 Council and endowed chairs for Cooperative Extension faculty.

Taylor is married to his college sweetheart, Linda, with whom he has four sons and now four "daughters" and eight grandchildren. Taylor credits his wife and children for providing the foundation and support that have enabled him to take the business risks of innovation and transformation throughout his career.