Citrus America is onboarding a new California rep group of approximately 20–30 people, referred by a high-value dealer contact. This group was recommended directly by the dealer — who told them to engage CAI — making this a warm introduction rather than a cold pitch. A Tuesday kickoff meeting is the immediate milestone. The sales rep portal is a supporting tool for that meeting and for ongoing rep enablement.
California has historically been a difficult market for CAI, with multiple rep group changes over the years. This onboarding is considered a high-priority opportunity.
Related session: [1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Framson | CAI — primary contact | Leading Tuesday kickoff |
| Jacob Framson | CAI — sales support | Attending kickoff |
| Gabriel Samano | New CA partner — COO | Point of contact for rep list |
| Valerie (last name TBD) | New CA partner — team | May send rep list on Brian's behalf |
New rep groups carry large brands (e.g., Rationale, Middleby) that generate millions in revenue. A juicer line selling $100k/year at ~10% commission produces only ~$10k — not enough to compete for rep attention. The onboarding pitch must reframe the opportunity as meaningful and growing.
A $10,000 juicer loaner unit is available to the rep group. Key talking points:
- Brings foot traffic to trade show booths
- Demonstrates product in a live setting
- Differentiates engaged reps from passive ones (historically, reps who use the loaner unit perform; those who cite weight/logistics as barriers tend not to)
The meeting is not a pitch — the group is already signed up. The goal is to get them excited and equipped.
The portal section should be short (1–2 minutes) — enough to show it exists and is useful, not a deep dive.
The portal is positioned as an always-available resource — reps don't need to memorize it, but they should know it exists and where to find what they need. For a large, sophisticated rep group with their own marketing department, the portal's downloadable assets (flyers, spec sheets, dealer materials) may be used as source material for their own branded collateral.
See: [2] for the full portal overhaul plan.
andrew@alliancefse.com), delete Rogelio and Bill Flannery"Over the past couple of years, we've been through reps — in Northern California, a couple, and in Southern California, even more." — Brian Framson
The pattern: rep groups with dominant brands (Middleby, Rationale) deprioritize smaller lines unless they see a clear path to meaningful commission. Previous CAI rep groups in California either underperformed or dissolved. This new group came in through a trusted dealer referral, which is a meaningfully different starting point.