The Ledger<\/a>. Also onboard the aircraft were TicoFrut\u2019s CEO Antonio Lacayo and the pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThis is a tremendous blow, of course to the families of the men involved,\u201d said Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus. \u201cIt\u2019s a tragedy none of us can fully grasp. But it is also a huge loss for the industry they served so well for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Horrisberger joined the Commission in 2010 and served as vice chair of the Research Committee. He worked as director of North American Procurement for fruit and juices for The Coca-Cola Company\u2019s global juice business. Previously, he held various management positions in the juice business for Cargill, Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs one of the primary ambassadors for Coca-Cola\u2019s juice business, Commissioner Horrisberger had a significant impact,\u201d Shepp said. \u201cHe was, of course, very knowledgeable on issues related to citrus procurement and the global dynamics shaping the industry. He was a fixture not only on the Commission but also at industry-related events across the state and around the globe. He will surely be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Lakeland resident, Horrisberger held a bachelor\u2019s degree from the University of Minnesota and a master\u2019s degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJim\u00a0and Phil were tireless advocates for our citrus industry and dedicated leaders for their businesses,\u201d said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. \u201cTheir loss sends shock waves throughout this small, tightly knit industry, even as their reach was global.\u00a0My thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends and associates who are reeling from this tragic accident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Andy Taylor, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Peace River Citrus Products, Inc., \u201cJim understood the juice business from a global perspective better than anyone in the industry.\u00a0He had connections around the globe and always seemed to be ahead of the market. As a business leader, Jim didn\u2019t dwell on problems and instead was always focused on finding solutions. We will miss Jim\u2019s guidance and leadership, and will always remember his never ending enthusiasm and love of the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Phil Tope had been a top citrus industry executive in Florida for decades, Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPhil was old school and part of the respected group of industry elders, and his word was his bond.\u00a0 He knew the industry inside and out from grove operations to processing and logistics.\u00a0 We mourn the loss of a great friend in Phil Tope,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This story will be updated as more information is available.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Horrisberger served on the Florida Citrus Commission for five years A celebration of his life will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Dec.\u00a07 at Bay Hill Club and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":243,"template":"","fdoc_news_item_category":[82,80,100],"fdoc_citrus_type":[107,108],"fdoc_health_category":[],"class_list":["post-4222","fdoc-news-item","type-fdoc-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","fdoc_news_item_category-commissioner-notes","fdoc_news_item_category-fdoc","fdoc_news_item_category-industry","fdoc_citrus_type-orange","fdoc_citrus_type-orange-juice"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc-news-item\/4222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc-news-item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/fdoc-news-item"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"fdoc_news_item_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc_news_item_category?post=4222"},{"taxonomy":"fdoc_citrus_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc_citrus_type?post=4222"},{"taxonomy":"fdoc_health_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridacitrus.org\/grower\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fdoc_health_category?post=4222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}