25 Over Fifty-Five 2019 Award Winner
BOB SEWALL | Executive vice president of sales and marketing, Blount Fine Foods Corp.
FALL RIVER-BASED Blount Fine Foods Corp. says it controls more than 60% of the national fresh soup market, thanks to Bob Sewall, Blount executive vice president who spends 46 weeks a year crisscrossing the country to promote Blount products. Notwithstanding his senior leadership role, Sewall said, “I work for the people who are making the soup. Every decision I make is based on what’s in their best interest.”
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Of CEO Todd Blount, who joined Blount in 1994, when Sewall was hired as regional sales manager, he said, “We’ve developed a great management team. … Our personalities are totally opposite … so we complement each other.”
Sewall focuses on helping existing customers sell more Blount products and turning prospective clients – particularly on the West Coast – into committed customers. “If we continue to be committed to quality products, there’s no end in sight,” said Sewall, whose local customers include Dave’s Marketplace, Stop & Shop, Market Basket and The Capital Grille, his first customer. Known for anticipating food trends, Sewall said he believes that people’s commitment to consuming cleaner, healthier and better-quality food contributes to Blount’s success, as did persuading Panera Bread and Legal Sea Foods to enter the retail market by licensing their soup brands to Blount. These and other successes have helped grow Blount’s revenue from $20 million in 1994 to $425 million today, according to Sewall.
Sewall established Bob’s Big Give (bobsbiggive.com), a foundation that donates Thanksgiving meals to those in need and provides clothing, furniture, toiletries and more to individuals or families who lose their homes due to fires or other disasters and those who flee abusive domestic situations. “Outside of my family [his wife and four children], that’s my passion … giving back to those who need a hand up,” said Sewall.
