DES MOINES, IA – The industry is mourning the loss of a longtime produce leader and experienced retail expert following the recent passing of Tom Crall, Category Manager of Produce at Hy-Vee.
Tom was a valuable member of Hy-Vee’s produce purchasing team, the company said in a statement today. He began his career with Hy-Vee in 1991 at the Urbandale store. In 1996, he became a produce clerk for Hy-Vee. In 2000, Tom was named produce manager at Urbandale, where he served for nine years. He then moved to the West Des Moines office to work in produce procurement in the position of produce sales inventory manager. And in 2011, he was promoted to his most recent position. Tom helped keep our produce inventory current and fresh, and he developed a great rapport working with the stores to help them create their own programs.
Tom graduated from Dowling High School in Des Moines and earned his degree from Des Moines Area Community College.…