The Farbest Team

The customer always comes first – it’s a value shared by all of us here at Farbest. That’s why we’re always accessible and committed to applying our extensive experience in application development, technical service, market trends, and logistics to help our customers solve problems and reach their goals.

Daniel M. Meloro

President and Chairman

"Farbest is second to none in representing the most ethical manufacturers and products in the world. We are constantly visiting suppliers looking for the ingredients our customers need for their changing markets."

As President and Chairman at Farbest, Dan travels globally and maintains relationships with some of the largest food and nutritional ingredient suppliers in the world. His unique perspective on the globalization of the food supply chain and rapidly accelerating industry changes serves Farbest customers well, particularly in navigating market trends. Son of Farbest founder Michael Meloro, Dan joined Farbest in 1976 and continues his father’s legacy of honesty, integrity, and superior customer service. His prior roles include serving as an Officer of W.E. DuMore, Inc., Senior Vice President and Partner of Egg Corporation of America, and founded Nature's Hearth, Inc., a manufacturer of retail products for the natural foods market. He also served a three-year term on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Small Business Advisory Council.

Bob Claire

Senior Vice President

"As a partner at Farbest Brands, I am particularly proud of the strong relationships we've developed with our customers and suppliers. The can-do attitude displayed by our employees throughout the organization has been essential in managing our customers' needs."

A dairy protein and sweeteners specialist, Bob has more than 40 years of experience in the food, health, and nutrition industries. He previously held sales and marketing roles with Durkee Foods' Edible Oil Division and with Express Foods, where he was instrumental in developing market opportunities for caseinates and whey proteins. As Senior Vice President at Farbest, Bob closely follows the global market and provides valuable insight into trends, forecasting, and resourcing. Bob draws upon this in-depth industry knowledge to help our customers find the right products and solutions to achieve their goals.

Bob is a sports fan, an avid golfer, and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Chip Jackson

Senior Vice President

"Over the 30-plus years I’ve been with Farbest, the driving factor of the company has been customer service and it will always be that. We want to make the customer happy. I enjoy coming up with solutions to make operations quicker, faster, and easier for our customers. Those are fun challenges to solve."

Chip’s 50 years of experience in the food industry includes building multiple food plants for industrial ingredients, creating new products, and managing manufacturing operations. As Senior Vice President and a technical liaison for protein systems and manufacturing, Chip enjoys working with customers to solve technical challenges, develop custom packaging, and run their operations more efficiently. Prior to joining Farbest, Chip held manufacturing and operations roles for Southland Corporation (7-Eleven), Express Foods, and Inland Sugar Co.

Outside of work Chip enjoys riding his Quarter Horse in the mountains of Arizona.

Brent Lambert

Vice President Sales

"We care deeply about our customers and we tell the truth. We place a huge emphasis on good service, value, communication, and partnership so that our customers can make great decisions."

Brent has more than 40 years of experience in specialty ingredient development, sales, and marketing. With his in-depth technical knowledge, Brent is a perfect fit for his role in expanding applications for various food ingredients, including nutritional applications for plant and dairy proteins. His vast experience with gum acacia extends to using fiber and high-potency gums in a variety of beverage applications. He also focuses on animal nutrition. For the last 20 years, Brent has worked with Farbest’s protein supply partners to develop pricing strategies and advise on new ingredients to bring to market.

As a resident of the Jersey Shore, Brent enjoys boating and saltwater fishing. He also serves on the parent advisory board of a local facility for children with special needs.

Michael Sepela

Sales Director

"At Farbest, we believe in building strong relationships with our customers and supply partners that last a lifetime. If you’re looking for quick responses, great results, and high-quality ingredients – look no further. I’m always looking for better supply solutions and unique ways to work with our global partners."

With 30 years of experience in the food, supplement, and companion animal industries, Mike brings a strong focus in relationship building to his role at Farbest. He’s highly knowledgeable in product sourcing and is an expert at driving sales, building strong teams, and implementing strategy. Before joining the team, Mike worked mainly with food supplements, vitamins, minerals, emulsifiers, premixes, and specialty milk protein products.

When Mike’s not at work, he enjoys being with his family, spending time with his granddaughter, and pursuing nature photography. He’s especially proud of a photograph he took off the coast of Alaska of a baby humpback whale in breech.

Michael Sutich

Director of Business Development

"At Farbest, we’re very invested in our partnerships with our suppliers. We do everything we can to ensure they have what they need when they need it."

As Director of Business Development, Michael is responsible for building strategic partnerships with suppliers that align with Farbest’s values. Using his product management expertise, Michael analyzes future trend forecasts through a sustainability lens, empowering him to build supplier relationships that will ensure our customers’ access to the ingredients they need most – even in the most uncertain environments.

Michael has over ten years of experience working with a wide range of ingredients and applications, formulating foods and beverages, flavors, sports and adult nutrition products, pet food, and confection to make the best use of plant proteins, dairy, texturants, vitamins, gum acacia, and natural colors.

When he’s not working Michael enjoys traveling, meeting new people, and trying new foods.

Joe Rios

Technical Sales Manager

"At Farbest, we don’t just think of ourselves as an ingredients supplier – we’re the bridge between our customers and supply partners. We’re committed to understanding our customers application and ingredient demands so we can supply exactly what they need, when they need it. That’s how we drive real value."

With 20 years of experience, Joe brings a uniquely hands-on perspective to his role at Farbest. He got his start in the R&D labs of the Marine Corps, where he developed Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) for US troops in the field. After his time in the military, Joe earned a Master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition with a minor in Dietetics from UCLA, laying the foundation for his entry into the food ingredients industry. Since then, he's established himself as an expert in Hydrocolloids, holding leadership positions at top ingredient producers providing ingredients such as Gum Acacia, Locust Bean Gum, Pectin, Gelatin, Collagen Peptides, Guar Gum, Tara Gum and much more, to the North American market. Joe’s passionate about helping customers find precise ingredients to best serve their formulations – and about working as part of a collaborative team with both Ingredient Manufacturers and Customers.

When he’s not working, Joe enjoys traveling with his family and coaching high school baseball. He specializes in pitching mechanics and strength conditioning.

Chris Bourque

Manager of Product Lines

"I believe in the company’s commitment to truth and honesty – transparency with our suppliers and customers is key to building long lasting relationships and driving further growth."

Chris brings nearly eight years of experience to his new role at Farbest, where he manages supply chains, custom manufacturing, and the dairy product line. He started his career in hospital supply chain management before joining our team, and at Farbest, he leverages his expert planning skills to maintain a steady flow of product and prevent any delays to our customers. Chris was an avid competitive soccer player for 15 years, an experience that taught him crucial leadership and communication skills. He believes that self-awareness, humility, and creative problem solving are key to success.

When Chris isn’t working, he enjoys hiking – especially with his dog – and waking up early to catch European soccer games on TV.

Louis Greco Jr.

Product Manager

"I’m looking at every ingredient from a holistic health and nutrition perspective. How will it affect a product’s taste and texture? How will it affect an actual human being? Those are the questions I’m asking on every product line."

Lou comes to Farbest after an early career striving to play professional soccer, followed by a stint as a telemedicine researcher, investigating the ways crypto and blockchain technology could be applied to the healthcare space. In response to the pandemic, Lou followed his interest in nutrition to become a health and wellness coach. Today, he manages Farbest’s plant protein, texturants, sweeteners, and natural coloring product lines, building relationships with suppliers while learning the complexities of each ingredient’s profile. Lou hopes to leverage his expertise toward supporting our customers’ unique formulation needs, optimizing for quality, price, and nutritional value.

When Lou’s not reading up on the nutritional profiles of our latest ingredients, he enjoys getting outside and being active. Some of his favorite activities include playing soccer, basketball, and golf.

Ashley Cao

Product Manager

"I have the knowledge to find win-win business solutions with the world’s leading manufacturers—and to help our customers make better decisions."

Ashley brings more than 10 years of experience working directly with Chinese manufacturers to her role at Farbest—and that makes her uniquely suited to ensuring our products are of the highest quality. Ashley’s an expert on high quality raw materials, best production practices, and market trend forecasting. This experience allows her to help our customers make the best purchasing decisions—and to foster mutually beneficial relationships between Farbest and the world’s top manufacturers.

When Ashley’s not at work, she enjoys hiking, swimming, and yoga. Her most recent hiking trip was to Arizona, where she visited the Grand Canyon.

Shakirul Alom

Quality Assurance & Compliance Manager

"I’m driven by data, and I take a systematic, strategic approach to problem solving. I view quality regulations as an opportunity to strengthen Farbest’s relationships with its customers and suppliers. Together, we can use regulatory compliance to elevate our position in the marketplace."

With 15+ years of experience in quality assurance and compliance across multiple FDA regulated industries, Shakirul ensures that all of Farbest’s products are top notch. He started his career at Stryker Orthopaedics, where he conducted product surveillance, managed customer complaints, and improved procedures and processes. He then moved on to Vitamin Shoppe, where he registered products in international markets and made sure all partner-manufactured products met Vitamin Shoppe’s high standards. Shakirul is highly organized, driven, and brings a big picture mentality to Farbest’s quality team.

Shakirul loves learning and stays up-to-date on the most current industry regulations – even in a shifting regulatory & compliance landscape. As consumer demand and product innovation push the industry forward, Shakirul is passionate about staying ahead of the curve to best serve Farbest’s customers.

Shakirul enjoys hiking, woodworking, and spending time with his wife and their three children.

Stacey Kroposki

Controller

Peggy Falanga

Customer Service Manager

"I’m a good listener, I’m honest and forthright, and I’m a creative problem solver who’s dedicated to the individual needs of our customers."

Peggy’s been the Customer Service Manager at Farbest for the last six years, and she’s an expert at navigating systems to find the answers customers need most. Using her technical skillset, Peggy’s able to anticipate trends and new opportunities – and her favorite part of the job is translating those insights into proactive customer solutions. Peggy leads with honesty and transparency, working with her team of Customer Service professionals to form personal, long-lasting relationships with Farbest’s customer base. Together, they’re committed to providing the service that Farbest’s known for, with quick, thorough, and personalized answers to every customer question.

When Peggy’s not at work, she enjoys long distance running and spending time with her family.

Marti-Sue Wahnon

Business Manager

"I feel that my role is to help all members of Farbest succeed and to take our business to the next level of excellence."

Marti-Sue brings more than 20 years of managerial experience to Farbest. After getting her start as a buyer in women’s fashion, Marti-Sue transitioned into Human Resources, singlehandedly building a department under her leadership. She went on to do this twice more at two other companies, leveraging her love for organization, system creation, and mentorship along the way.

At Farbest, Marti-Sue plays an integral role on the leadership team, managing day-to-day business operations as well as all human resourcing needs. She has an intuitive understanding of how different roles and operations intertwine, giving her a bird’s eye view into everyday complexities. Combined with her even-keeled nature and collaborative approach to problem solving, Marti-Sue brings a unique and valuable perspective to every challenge.

When Marti-Sue’s not at work, she’s cooking up new recipes, sharing her love for arts and crafts with her granddaughter, and spending time with her family and friends.