Latest Boss Hopes Buyproduce Can Grow as a Consultant Too

The new chief executive at Buyproduce--the fourth in two years for the Irvine online purveyor of fresh produce--is steering the company into a new line of business as it strives for staying power. Buyproduce, which raised $20 million in venture capital in May, operates an online marketplace for the fresh produce industry, connecting growers with restaurants and retailers.

But Kenneth R. Lally, who took over last month as chief executive, is guiding the company’s effort to build a consulting business too.

Bob Bonanno, a founder and vice president for marketing, said the company is now working with individual producers of perishable goods to help them start their own online sales operations.

“Our business has evolved from a digital marketplace to a solution,” he said.

Lally will be adding additional senior-level executives to the company’s ranks, according to a Buyproduce press release.