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

"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 35 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 13 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.

Paul Guzman

Vice President

"I love the art of negotiation and helping to develop win-win solutions. The best part of my job is working with suppliers and customers to match an ingredient with our customer’s needs."

Paul began his career as a food product developer before becoming a purchaser for StarKist Foods. For the last 29 years, Paul has served in sales and supplier relationship roles at Farbest. As VP of Product Management, he is responsible for maintaining supplier relationships for all product lines including proteins, organic ingredients, sweeteners, and vitamins.

When he’s not working, Paul enjoys many outdoor activities, including bicycling, paddle boarding, golf, tennis, and gardening.

Pam Bryant

Vice President – Custom Products

"Maintaining the relationships with our ingredient suppliers and co-packers is very important. They are my friends and we’re able to get things done. I love my job!"

Pam has more than 30 years of experience in the food industry. Since joining Farbest 28 years ago, Pam has held roles in sales and purchasing. Currently Pam is VP of Custom Products where she oversees ingredient procurement, co-packing, supplier relations, and distribution logistics for Farbest’s line of custom products.

In her free time Pam enjoys oil painting and is a certified painting instructor.

Michael Sepela

Sales Director

"I believe in building strong relationships with our customers and implementing mutually beneficial deals that last a lifetime. I’m always looking for new ways to communicate with and drive more effective experiences for our customers, as well as to create fresh strategic alliances."

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.

Kevin Burke

Director of Product Management & Supply Chain

"This is an exciting time at Farbest as we explore new product lines and look to strengthen relationships with key suppliers and customers. I’m excited to use my expertise in both commodity ingredients and specialty foods to foster profitable growth."

As a versatile commercial executive, Kevin adds business management skills and a strong customer focus to his role at Farbest. Before joining the team, Kevin worked as both a Business Category Leader and a Global Account Director in the confectionary, pharmaceutical, food, and nutrition industries. His unique dedication to customer satisfaction and success makes him an especially strong asset to Farbest’s team.

Outside of work, Kevin enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, and running. He’s completed five half marathons and a 100-mile relay race across the state of New Jersey.

Michele Perrotta

Product Manager

"I like solving problems and putting puzzles together. I’m looking forward to finding creative solutions that result in exceptional service to our suppliers and customers."

With extensive experience in importing and product management in the footwear industry, Michele brings a strong customer focus to her new role at Farbest. Michele values commitment and creativity when it comes to developing new solutions on the job, and every action she takes is rooted in finding mutually successful solutions for everyone. She loves to learn and is excited to bring her skillset to Farbest's customers. Prior to her becoming a Product Manager, Michele served Farbest as a Supply Chain Supervisor.

When Michele’s not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and biking. She's also an active volunteer in her local school system.

Michael Sutich

Product Manager

"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 product manager for dairy proteins and gums, Michael serves as an integral link between Farbest sales staff and suppliers. Having over a decade of customer service experience, he is responsible for providing product technical support, helping sales staff match products with customers’ needs, maintaining communication with suppliers, and managing product inventory. Michael also studies global economic trends and pricing patterns to develop pricing strategies.

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

Mark Nagelhout

Product Manager

"Farbest has assembled a wonderful group of professionals who can balance the needs of our customers and suppliers with great communication, technical and market knowledge. I am proud of how my skills and experience complement our team."

Mark’s been a member of the Farbest team since 2002. Over the last 14 years, he’s grown with the company, starting out in customer service and climbing the ranks in numerous product and supplier management roles. Mark’s ability to pivot seamlessly when working with both customers and suppliers has made him a uniquely valuable team member at Farbest. Mark is also extremely service oriented and tech-savvy—two traits that have helped him to give Farbest a competitive advantage.

Outside of work, Mark enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, and kayaking. He is also an avid wildlife photographer.

Frank Volpe

Director of Operations

"What I love about my job is the variety. Something new is always coming up everyday, whether it’s implementing a new technology or learning about international food safety regulations."

Over the last 14 years, Frank has served as director of IT, marketing, supply chain, documentation, and customer service at Farbest. Today, Frank applies his nearly 40 years of analytical experience in his role as Director of Operations, managing all aspects of product fulfillment, from inventory planning and tracking to distribution. Prior to joining Farbest, Frank was an internal IT consultant at Castrol North America (BP) and an IT manager at Nestlé.

In his free time he enjoys playing baseball and softball and riding his road bike on a 46-mile converted railroad trail in upstate New York.

James K. Barry

Controller

Jim is a CPA and corporate financial expert with more than 40 years of experience in the food, health, and nutrition industries. As controller at Farbest, Jim manages the company’s financial portfolio, accounting, business insurance, and banking relationships. He also provides financial trend analysis, economic forecasting, and resourcing to manage the company’s cash assets and contribute to its business planning.

Teresa Lauricella

Human Resources Manager

"I enjoy hiring new people, communicating with our employees, and researching new laws/compliance. Here, it’s important that we hire people who will fit in with our company culture."

Teresa is well versed in Farbest history and company culture. For the last 23 years, Teresa worked as a receptionist and in the company’s customer service and HR departments. Over the last 10 years Teresa has managed the HR department where her responsibilities include onboarding new employees, health insurance benefits compliance, researching and enforcing labor regulations, and communicating with employees.

In her free time Teresa loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her family.

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 10 years of experience in quality assurance and compliance, 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 enjoys hiking, woodworking, and spending time with his wife, their two children, and their yellow lab Charley.