Profile: Scott Kash – Business Development Manager – Retail – Garner Foods

As the Business Development Manager for the Midwest Region Retail Market, Scott Kash has worked to support and grow some of the biggest national retailers right on their home turf.  With years of experience and a great deal of industry expertise, Scott is helping Texas Pete^® become the fastest growing retail hot sauce brand in the region. 

Brashears: When did you begin working for Garner Foods?

Scott: I started November 5, 2018 as the Midwest region sales manager and then that role evolved into business development.

Brashears: What attracted you to the Garner Foods organization?

Scott: I was looking for a smaller company that had strong brands in the retail marketplace.  I felt I could contribute to the growth of the company and liked how passionate they were about their products and their aggressive growth plans.

Brashears: What was your prior experience before coming to Garner Foods?

Scott: I worked in a number of different sales roles for food and non-food CPG companies. Many of these were large market leader CPG plans with large scale sales teams. 

Brashears: What do you love about working in the food industry?

Scott: I think everyone, for the most part, likes food.  It’s a very stable market.  I also enjoy all the creativity brought into the market.  That innovation and thought leadership is very attractive to me. 

Brashears: What are your favorite ways to unwind and recharge?

Scott: I love to run daily and be as active as possible.  I enjoy being on the move.  I also just recently started learning to play the mandolin.  I’ve always liked the sound of the instrument.  I’ve seen some incredibly talented artists that use mandolin in their music.  It’s my first musical instrument, so it’s been humbling and very rewarding. 

Brashears: What’s your favorite way to help or inspire other professionals around you?
Scott: I like that there is interest in allowing people within Garner Foods to share their past experience to solve challenges and leverage opportunities.  I enjoy bringing my past experience with larger companies to help us find new paths to grow.

Brashears: What is your favorite food or cuisine?

Scott: I’ll try just about any kind of food or cuisine as long as it’s made well with quality ingredients.  My current obsession is Thai Curry.  I typically go for the Panang curry dishes. 

Brashears: What are your top 3 favorite places to travel?

Scott: I’m pretty much going to enjoy any place that has mountains and lakes, or both.  As far as places I haven’t been to that I’d like to get to are Japan, Iceland, and Alaska. 

Brashears: What is a professional goal you have for 2022?

Scott: To be better than I was in 2021, to be always improving.

Brashears: What was the last Garner Foods product you used?

Scott: CHA! by Texas Pete^® Sriracha Sauce. That’s my go-to on a lot of things. 

Brashears: When you were in Middle School, what did you want to be?

Scott: I wanted to be an architect. That’s the George Castanza in me, lol… hopefully that’s the only aspect I reflect.

Brashears: What was the last thing (podcast, book, speaker, etc.) that really inspired you?

Scott: This one is a little interesting.  As I was researching some things on learning to play mandolin, I came across this video from Hillary Klug who is a fiddle player who also dances.  I found it at a particular time when I was struggling with my mandolin lessons and it was very inspiring. If this young person can play that well while also dancing, then I can learn this instrument!

Brashears: If you were going to write a book, or some other piece of media, what would it be about?

Scott: Probably utilizing facts and data to bring out the truth in things.  How to use analytics effectively to make the best decision.

Brashears: What are you binge watching right now?

Scott: I just finished up a course on Amazon called “England in the 1960s and the Triumph of the Beatles.”  It has zero music in it but gave a lot of insights into their community and what it was like growing up in their area.  It was very interesting.

Brashears: Who is your favorite musical artist?

Scott: Chris Thile (Nickel Creek).  He’s so gifted. 

By David Brashears, Public Relations Director