Nirmal Sinha, vice president of R&D, Graceland Fruit Inc. (Frankfort, Mich.), and others at the company believe the importance of research and development is becoming more apparent as consumer demand for value-added products increases. The marketplace is not a forum for consumers to buy existing products anymore, but a place to demand products that do not yet exist. Continuous research and development provides a means to stay competitive and companies without adequate R&D departments will be extinct before you can say, “pterodactyl.”
“Innovation spurred by R&D has become the living root system of Graceland Fruit,” says president and CEO Don Nugent. “Nirmal has driven our commitment to innovation and new product development over the years, and our product lines have grown significantly under his direction.”