Inland Seafood Management Team
 |
Joel Knox
President and CEO
Inland Seafood |
After graduating from Emory University in 1974, Knox moved to the Pacific Northwest where he pursued his passion for fishing and worked as a journalist for several newspapers. In a short while, he became a food critic for the Willamette Observer. That experience led Knox back to Atlanta in 1977 and the launching of Cuisine Atlanta, the first magazine in Atlanta that was dedicated to restaurant profiles.
As Knox was building his magazine’s restaurant profiles, it became increasingly apparent that few restaurants offered any fish dishes other than something that had been frozen and deep-fried. So he took a chance and began flying in high-quality fish from the Pacific Northwest, which he sold out of the back of a pickup truck to a handful of chefs who were eager to put it on their menus. Three decades later, Inland Seafood is the largest processor and distributor of fish and seafood in the Southeast.
A native Atlantan, Knox resides in the historic Druid Hills neighborhood with his wife, Joan, and chocolate lab, Winston.
Bill Demmond has been overseeing Inland Seafood’s daily operations and sales since 1982, including logistics, service and support. He also plays a key role in the company’s development, including expansion into other markets.
Before joining Inland, Demmond had been in the restaurant business working as a chef, kitchen manager and general manager.
Demmond is a native of Kentucky and a graduate of the University of Georgia. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Betty, and two children.
Chris Rosenberger has been with Inland Seafood since 1988, having held a variety of positions within the company. Rosenberger’s spent the early part of his career as a chef, which provided the background and experience he has used in his successful leadership efforts division at Inland.
Most recently, Rosenberger has been charged with developing Inland’s value-added division, Inland Market Premium Foods, a line of nearly 100 gourmet, restaurant-quality foods items that are handmade in Inland’s kitchens. Rosenberger is involved in everything from recipe development to packaging to marketing Inland Market Premium Foods.
Rosenberger is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He and his wife, Lauren, live in Atlanta with their two daughters.
Rich Luff began his relationship with Inland Seafood in 1993, after having spent the first 13 years of his career in sales management with Montondo’s Seafood in Lockport, New York. Originally hired in Sales with Inland in Atlanta, he was promoted to General Manager of Inland’s Charlotte, North Carolina, division in 2000.
In early 2006, Luff moved back to Atlanta to assume his current position as General Manager of Inland’s Distribution companies. Luff works closely with each division’s to produce consistently top quality products, service and customer relations throughout Inland’s regional offices.
A native of Lockport New York, Luff graduated from Buffalo State College with a B.S. in Business Administration. He and his wife, Christine, live in Powder Springs with their six children.
After several decades in the catfish industry in his native Alabama, Randy Rhodes joined Inland Seafood in 2006 to head up the National Sales Division. Rhodes helped start Alabama-based Southern Pride Catfish in 1986, where as vice president of sales and marketing, he helped grow the company to $112 million before it was acquired by American Pride Seafoods in 2002.
Rhodes is actively involved in the National Fisheries Institute, the Catfish Institute and has traveled all over the world to study aquaculture.
Rhodes is a native of Tuscaloosa and attended the University of Alabama. He and his family live in Greensboro, Ala.
Michael Robins works with Chris Rosenberger and the Inland Market Premium Foods division in developing and marketing new products. Robins has been charged with developing fresh-tasting, clean-tasting food that’s healthy, convenient, attractive and cost-effective.
Robins has a distinguished career in the culinary world. Most recently he was director of Culinary Services and New Product Innovation for Bestfoods.
