22. Gary Thiara - General Manager & Partner of Empire Nut Company, Indian roots, building communities, walnuts, sustainable agriculture, and much more.
In this month's episode, I sat down with Gary Thiara, general manager and partner of Empire Nut Company. Throughout our conversation, we spoke about the humble beginnings of the family-owned business, the public perception of the agriculture industry, and how partnering with UnitedAg has strengthened the Thiara family’s relationship with their employees.
Empire Nut Company started as a small orchard, and their success was built upon the support and collaboration of the local farming community. The nature of the agriculture industry produces modest, generous farmers who understand that investing in their communities yields the best harvests. Gary emphasizes that the public’s perception of the agriculture industry often includes stereotypes of overconsumption of natural resources and mistreatment of laborers, which he argues is far from reality. The Thiara family recognizes that the well-being and safety of their employees is essential for the success of their business. Partnering with UnitedAg, as Gary explains, streamlined the integration of healthcare and workplace benefits; this partnership helps address a common challenge in the industry, where these benefits might not be readily accessible. Empire Nut Company’s success derives from the people in their communities -- employees, partners, families – and their generosity. The values held by Empire Nut Company aligns with those of UnitedAg, resulting in a beneficial partnership that contributes to the overall well-being of employees and longevity of business.
Empire Nut Company - https://empirenut.com/
This episode is sponsored by UnitedAg, one of the largest association health plans to offer healthcare to the agriculture industry of California and Arizona.
Kirti Mutatkar, President and CEO of UnitedAg.
Reach me at kmutatkar@unitedag.org, www.linkedin.com/in/kirtimutatkar
UnitedAg website - www.unitedag.org
Episode Contributors - Samantha Taylor, Kirti Mutatkar, Paul Lecrone, Melanie Larsen
The episode is also sponsored by Brent Eastman Insurance Services Inc. - https://brenteastman.com/Blue
Shield of California - https://www.blueshieldca.com/Elite
Medical - https://www.elitecorpmed.com/Gallagher
Medical https://sainmedical.com/