10 J.R. Simplot plant leaders
Plant Director, Plant Manager and Director de planta are among the current titles held by these J.R. Simplot plant leaders. A reader can learn how plant leaders run their sites at J.R. Simplot from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Chris Ware
LinkedInExperience: Plant Manager · Simplot Company
Chris Ware has been Plant Manager at Simplot Company since June 2024, with the role listed in Helm, California, and is based in Clovis, California. Chris Ware was also Safety Professional at Simplot Company from 2012 to 2024, and the profile headline reads Plant Manager.
Cody Vanderhoof
LinkedInExperience: Plant Director · Simplot Company
Cody Vanderhoof has been Plant Director at Simplot Company since August 2026, based in Caldwell, Idaho. At Simplot Company, Cody Vanderhoof was also Senior Manager Plant Operations from 2025 to 2026, Production Manager from 2023 to 2025 and Plant Shift Manager from 2021 to 2023.
David Maddison
LinkedInExperience: Former Plant Manager · Simplot Company
David Maddison is a former Plant Manager at Simplot Company, a role held from 2018 to 2022, and lists a second Plant Manager row at Simplot Company from 2016 to 2018. David Maddison has been Business Unit Director at Simplot Company since June 2023, with the role listed in Echuca, Victoria, Australia.
Fleshman Jody
LinkedInExperience: Plant Director · Simplot Company
Fleshman Jody has been Plant Director at Simplot Company since March 2025, based in the Greater Kennewick Area. At Simplot Company, Fleshman Jody was also Quality Assurance Manager from 2023 to 2025, QA Manager from 2018 to 2023 and Production Planner/Scheduler from 2014 to 2018.
Fred Salmon, Jr.
LinkedInExperience: Plant Manager · Simplot Company
Fred Salmon, Jr. has been Plant Manager at Simplot Company since February 2025, based in Pocatello, Idaho. Fred Salmon, Jr. was Senior Manager Operations at The Mosaic Company from 2020 to 2025 and Senior Manager of Maintenance and Engineering at The Mosaic Company from 2016 to 2020.
Guillermo Yelich
LinkedInExperience: Director de planta · Simplot Company
Guillermo Yelich has been Director de planta at Simplot Company since August 2025, with the role listed in Mendoza, Argentina. At Simplot Company, Guillermo Yelich was also Gerente de Manufactura from 2024 to 2025 and Gerente de Ingeniería y Mantenimiento from 2017 to 2024.
Joseph DeRitis
LinkedInExperience: Former Granule Plant Manager · Simplot Company
Joseph DeRitis is a former Granule Plant Manager at Simplot Company, a role held from November 2017 to July 2018. Joseph DeRitis has been Production Manager - Frozen Vegetables & Fruit at Simplot Company since February 2019, based in the Greater Kennewick Area, and was Plant Shift Manager there from 2016 to 2017.
Leonardo Garza II, MBA
LinkedInExperience: Plant Director · Simplot Company
Leonardo Garza II, MBA has been Plant Director at Simplot Company since March 2024 and lists a second Plant Director row at Simplot Company from August 2025, based in Moses Lake, Washington. At Simplot Company, Leonardo Garza II, MBA was also Quality Assurance Manager from 2022 to 2024.
Michael Repp
LinkedInExperience: Plant Director · Simplot Company
Michael Repp has been Plant Director at Simplot Company since February 2024, based in Ontario, Oregon. At Simplot Company, Michael Repp was also Unit Director from 2021 to 2024, Manufacturing Manager from 2019 to 2021 and Production Manager from 2017 to 2019.
Nigel Cowen
LinkedInExperience: Former Plant Manager · Simplot
Nigel Cowen is a former Plant Manager at Simplot, a role held from September 2017 to August 2020. Nigel Cowen has been Director of Capital Engineering - APAC at Simplot Australia Pty Ltd since September 2023 and was General Manager Manufacturing there from 2020 to 2023, based in Hawley Beach, Tasmania, Australia.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's own plant and the work they describe there to your question, since running one kind of plant can look very different from running another. Weigh how recently each person took the role, because someone new to a plant and someone who has led it for years will describe different challenges.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you took over your plant?
- 02How do you split your own time between the floor and the people you report to?
- 03What from the roles you held inside a plant before leading one still shapes how you run it?
Reaching J.R. Simplot plant leaders
How can I contact one of these J.R. Simplot plant leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 2 companies: Simplot Company and Simplot, based on profile data retrieved on October 25, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach J.R. Simplot plant leaders?
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What if they don't reply?
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Can an AI agent ask one of these J.R. Simplot plant leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.