George Tanimura
Co-Chairman of the Board

George Tanimura was born July 2, 1915 and began learning the family iceberg lettuce business by thinning the crop as a grammar school student. At 14 years old, George’s father passed away, leaving him with the responsibility for the family and its farm. He guided the family through numerous historical and economic challenges.

By the 1950’s, the Tanimuras were harvesting more than 200 acres of iceberg lettuce exclusively for Bud Antle. As the relationship strengthened, the families formed a cohesive partnership.

George has established a reputation for integrity and humility, and always receives a great deal of respect from his colleagues. He is credited with introducing eco-friendly drip irrigation into a substantial portion of the land that Tanimura & Antle farms. Today, George continues to monitor the company’s farming methods, always looking for new ways to improve them. He can often be seen walking the fields, inspecting the crops and maintaining his close relationships with the crews.

Bob Antle joined his father and grandfather in 1949 when he began to work as a loader at Bud Antle, Inc., his family's harvest operation. It was during this time that Bob worked alongside the Tanimura family and began developing the relationship that eventually led to the formation of Tanimura & Antle, Inc.

Through the years, Bob was credited with implementing several major produce industry initiatives, such as production of crop transplants, development of distribution centers for the wrapped lettuce products, and implementation of consistent pricing structures.

Bob is known and loved for his open door policy. He has always encouraged employees to share their ideas, because it's those ideas that have helped make Tanimura & Antle the success it is today.

Rick Antle
Chief Executive Officer and Principal of the Tanimura & Antle Group of Companies

Rick Antle has followed in the Antle family tradition of leadership and innovation in the produce industry. President since the company’s formation in 1982 and Chief Executive Officer since 2003, Rick constantly challenges his team to provide innovative solutions, even if they go against conventional wisdom. Rick firmly believes it is the creative solutions of its employees that have made Tanimura & Antle America’s premier independent produce grower and shipper.

In addition to his duties at Tanimura & Antle, Rick is a board member of Earthbound Farm, LLC, the leading producer of organic fresh fruits and vegetables in the United States. He is also a member of the boards for United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association (UFFVA) and Pacific Ag Rentals. Rick has served as Chairman of the Iceberg Lettuce Research Board and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency.

Mike started as a harvest supervisor with Bud Antle, Inc. prior to becoming part of Tanimura & Antle, Inc. in 1982. Today, Mike oversees the Cooler operations, Harvest, Human Resources and the Spreckels Industrial Park Facilities. He is fluent in Spanish, a useful skill for his hands-on role in daily operations. Mike strongly promotes the company policy of promoting within and works to give employees opportunities to achieve their ultimate career goal. He is a past chairman of the Grower Shipper Association and has served as a Board Member for the Monterey County Ag Education, Inc.

Gary has been farming in the Salinas Valley with his family since he was a young boy. Graduating from college in the early 1970’s, he started with his father and uncle’s business, Higashi and Tanimura, before farming with Bud Antle and then Tanimura & Antle, Inc. when the company was started in 1982. Today, Gary manages all the Tanimura family farming operations located in the Salinas Valley. He is a member of the Presidents Ag Steering Committee for the Agricultural Business & Technology Institute at Hartnell Community College in Salinas and sits on the Hartnell College Foundation, an independent, non-profit corporation.