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Cold Chain Specialist Hummel Joins Grip as National Operations Chief

Grip, the Miami-based cold chain fulfillment provider, appointed John Hummel as president of its national fulfillment operations Tuesday. Hummel brings four decades of experience in frozen and refrigerated distribution to the role.

In cold chain fulfillment, precision is critical. A shipping decision that uses too few pounds of refrigerant or misses transit timing by a single day can destroy product margins or render goods unsellable. This core challenge—optimizing refrigerant use across millions of orders—is central to Grip's business.

Hummel previously served as president of Burris Logistics' Custom Distribution division, managing five frozen distribution centers and eight direct-to-consumer facilities. His background includes leadership at United Natural Foods, where he ran eight distribution centers generating over $6 billion in annual sales. He also oversaw 31 distribution centers at Reinhart Foodservice during expansion from $2 billion to $7 billion in revenue.

"I've known Juan since his ButcherBox days, and I've followed Grip's journey ever since," Hummel said. "Joining the team to lead its fulfillment operation is an incredible opportunity."

Grip has shipped more than $3 billion in perishable goods since launching in 2022. The company operates fulfillment centers in New Jersey, Texas, Michigan, Nevada and Florida, reaching over 80% of the U.S. population within 24 hours and the rest of the country within 48 hours. Founder and CEO Juan Camilo Meisel previously helped scale ButcherBox past $500 million before starting Grip.