» The Business of Food Safety

Douglas Circle and his wife, Jan, have been lifetime residents of Orange County, California and presently reside in Corona del Mar.  Their daughter and two sons are active in the business community in Southern California.

Mr. Circle was well known throughout the strawberry industry for over 30 years and his corporations, Sunrise Growers, Inc. and Frozsun Foods, Inc., grew to become a major segment of that industry in the State with $300 million in annual sales.  Frozsun Foods, Inc. was the largest processor of frozen strawberries in the United States while headed by Mr. Circle.  He sold those entities and presently is the President and CEO of Circle Vision, LLC, his investment vehicle to manage his ongoing business enterprises.

Douglas Circle is also the owner and Managing Director of Sierra Madre Vineyard, a major grower of fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wine grapes in Northern Santa Barbara County, as well as the owner and Managing Director of Pinnacle Vineyards, LLC, concentrating on Bordeaux and Rhone varietals in San Benito County, California.  Mr. Circle produces fine varietal wines under his brand of “Sierra Madre Vineyard”.

Ed Haft
President & CEO, Sunrise Growers Inc. and Frozsun Foods Inc.

Mr. Haft has spent 27 years in Consumer Product Goods and Food Manufacturing. As President & CEO of Sunrise Growers – Frozsun Foods, he manages a team that holds the leadership position in the U.S. Retail and Food Service Frozen Fruit Category. The company is a vertically integrated grower, shipper, and processor of strawberries and also sources other fruit from around the globe. Prior to joining Sunrise Growers in 2004, Mr. Haft spent 18 years with the Sara Lee Corporation, the last 6 as a President of their Frozen Bakery Division. He holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA from Tufts University.

Mark Murai
CEO, California Strawberry Commission

Mark Murai is a third-generation Orange County farmer, currently serving as President of the California Strawberry Commission. He served on the California Strawberry Commission’s Board of Directors for 17 years and led the organization as Chairman from 2002-2004. Mr. Murai began growing strawberries on his family’s farms in 1985, while still studying Agricultural Business Management at Cal Poly, Pomona. He has served as a member of USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee and Vice Chairman of the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Santa Ana Region 8). He currently serves on the United States Trade Representative’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee, and as Vice Chairman of the Alliance for Food and Farming.