Sweet Harvest Foods Strengthens Scientific and Operational Leadership with Two Key Appointments

Newly created agricultural operations and R&D roles position the company to increase domestic honey yields and advance pollinator health

CANNON FALLS, Minn. — October 8, 2025 — Sweet Harvest Foods, the largest producer of raw, unfiltered honey and parent company of Nate’s Honey, today announces two strategic leadership hires that advance the company’s mission to transform the honey industry, accelerate innovation in beekeeping and produce honey faster and more sustainably.

Luigi Trotta has been named vice president of operations, agriculture and apiculture, a newly created role within Nate’s Hives, an operation of vertically integrated beekeepers producing raw, local honey. Reporting to the president of Nate’s Hives, Trotta will oversee the expansion and advancement of modern apiary operations across multiple states. His work will strengthen the company’s hive-to-kitchen supply chain, deliver scalable systems and set a new operational standard for the industry. The result will be more families having access to pure, raw and unfiltered honey they can trust.

Dr. Suresh Bhamidimarri joins Sweet Harvest Foods as vice president of agricultural research and development. A published scientist with more than two decades of experience in agriscience and research institutions, Dr. Bhamidimarri will lead R&D programs focused on seed science, plant biology and flower optimization with a focus on pollen and nectar production. He will work alongside Trotta to scale apiary operations, reinforcing the company’s position as the first honey company to establish a full-time, in-house R&D team dedicated to advancing pollinator science.

“As a leading U.S. beekeeper, we believe scale brings both responsibility and opportunity,” said Mike Carle, Chief Executive Officer of Sweet Harvest Foods. “With leaders like Luigi and Suresh, we can invest in research, technology and operations to meaningfully transform the honey industry. These hires reflect our commitment to increasing domestic honey yields, safeguarding pollinators and supporting American farmers. This progress strengthens our business and helps sustain a healthier food ecosystem for the future.”

“These hires reinforce our dedication to bee health as the foundation of everything we do,” said Matt Halbgewachs, President of Nate’s Hives. “By bringing together operational excellence and dedicated R&D, we’re building infrastructure that will allow our beekeepers to focus on what matters most – ensuring thriving, healthy hives. It’s not only good for our business, but it drives the entire honey industry forward.”

The company has also begun a search for a senior entomologist, its first ever dedicated entomologist hire, providing deep expertise in honey bee research and migratory beekeeping.

Together, these new roles reinforce Sweet Harvest Foods’ position as the only combined honey producer and beekeeper in the U.S. with this degree of sophistication across operations and supply chain. By pairing operational scale with scientific leadership, Sweet Harvest Foods is writing a new playbook for what it means to reinvent the honey category and advance priorities for both the industry and American agriculture.

About Sweet Harvest Foods Holdings
We believe in making life a little sweeter. As the leading procurer of honey in the U.S., Sweet Harvest Foods provides the highest-quality ingredients for some of the most iconic brands and beloved products. That’s a serious responsibility, which is why we keep innovating and setting higher standards in quality, taste and reliability. Sweet Harvest Foods is bolstered by its ownership of Nate’s Honey, the number-one branded honey, and Nate’s Hives, a top U.S. apiary. Join us on our mission to lead the honey industry by innovating from the hive to beyond the kitchen. For more information, visit www.sweetharvestfoods.com.