ORLANDO, Fla., — April 26, 2018 — Thrive has tapped Bruce D. Riggins as its new senior vice president of Sales. Thrive is the creator of Thrive Ice Cream, a nutritionally enhanced ice cream used by organizations and collegiate and professional sports programs as a healthier dessert, snack, dietary supplement, or meal replacement for individuals with conditions requiring a specialized diet, are at risk of malnutrition, looking to boost athletic performance, or who would benefit from more healthful, wellness oriented menu options.
Riggins will lead Thrive’s sales and business development strategies to hospital systems, cancer centers, children’s hospitals, senior living communities, and long-term care and rehabilitation facilities. Additionally, he will serve as the point person for healthcare group purchasing organizations (GPOs) across the United States with whom Thrive has contractual relationships.
Riggins has more than 35 years of healthcare and senior living experience, including healthcare support services operations like foodservice. This includes 25 years in business development and sales leadership roles with prominent management organizations such as ServiceMaster, ARAMARK and Johnson Controls. Prior to joining Thrive, Riggins was regional sales director for ABM Healthcare. He also served as vice president for sales for Fashion Seal Healthcare where he developed and executed national brand development, marketing and business development strategies.
Commenting on the appointment, Thrive CEO Alan Gessel said Riggins’ hiring comes at a pivotal time for the company as it expands its footprint in the healthcare industry. “We are fortunate to hire a proven C-level sales executive like Bruce whose experience closely aligns with our business. With Bruce onboard, we are better able to accelerate our growth in healthcare and maximize alliances with the top healthcare provider organizations, GPOs and distributors.”
Riggins earned his undergraduate degree from Auburn University and a Master’s of Business Administration from Wake Forest University.
Thrive’s product line includes six-ounce, single-serve cups of nutritionally enhanced ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and no sugar added vanilla. Each cup contains nine grams of protein, 24 vitamins and minerals, four active probiotics, and natural prebiotic fiber. Thrive Ice Cream is Real®Dairy certified and does not contain high fructose corn syrup, palm oil or artificial colorants. In addition to patient populations, Thrive is a perfect menu option for healthcare employees and guests who enjoy ice cream but want healthier options.
About Thrive
The Thrive Nutritious Ice Cream concept began nearly a decade ago as an idea for providing a premium ice cream product that would pack nutrition into a great tasting form. Available in seven flavors, Thrive Frozen Nutrition is an ice cream–type product that’s formulated to provide an extra punch of nutrition. In addition to containing four different strains of probiotics aimed at aiding digestive health, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacteria, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, it also contains 9 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 25% or more of the recommended daily intakes of 24 different vitamins and minerals. Currently offered in nearly 1,000 health care communities, and available in more than 1,200 grocery stores nationwide, Thrive has created a nutritional supplement product that you, or your loved one, will look forward to eating. For more information about Thrive, visit www.thriveicecream.com.