In 2003 I was asked if I would like to fill a temporary part-time position in the Accounting department at Tastyfrutti International, Inc., formerly Unifrutti of America for the Chilean season. I was hesitant at first since I had been working for the previous 10 years in the floral industry as a designer and event planner, and had little to no office experience. I accepted, thinking it would be a new challenge and just temporary. Well, similar to flowers, I found out quickly that “a grape is not just a grape.”

I was privileged to have worked under the supervision of Mr. William Pao, who started at Tastyfrutti as an accounting clerk in 1991. In the meantime, he studied and passed the CPA test with honors and was promoted to and served as Controller from 2001 until his unfortunate passing in 2014. Bill trained me in all functions of the accounting department. He impressed upon me his attention to detail, accuracy, dedication and, most of all, the high standards held by Tastyfrutti which he expected from all his colleagues. With his combination of old-school methods and modern technology, I found the job to be both interesting and challenging. With Bill’s guidance, my part-time temporary job slowly transitioned to a full-time position with the company.

Not only has it been an opportunity to learn new skills, I have been able to meet and develop friendships with our associates both domestically and internationally over the years. Today it continues to be a pleasure to work alongside such devoted professionals and for a company that is held with such great respect and integrity in the produce industry.