This week, I sit down with Pedrom Rejai. Pedrom is a supply chain expert and former Unilever executive who managed portfolios worth over $1.4 billion. With a background in chemical engineering, he has led operations for major brands like Hellmann’s and Dove. He now runs Elevate Growth Partners, helping small and medium-sized food businesses automate processes, scale operations, and navigate the chaos of growth.

In Part 1, we dive into his "Fell Into Food" moment at a corn milling plant in Nebraska and his time running the Hellmann’s factory in Chicago, where they pump out over 2 million pounds of mayonnaise a day. Pedrom breaks down the massive complexity behind simple ingredients, from the dangers of scaling mustard recipes to vertically integrating egg blending while the factory lines are still running

We also get real about the "COVID years" in manufacturing—working 12-hour shifts to keep shelves stocked while the world shut down, and the camaraderie that got his team through the hardest days. Plus, we discuss the logistics of near-shoring, the difference between "problem solvers" and "operators," and why scaling a recipe from a kitchen to a factory is a lot harder than just doing the math.

Stick around for part 2 as we get into Elevate Growth Partners, AI, and trends of 2026.

Socials

Website: https://elevategrowth.partners

Email: pedrom@elevategrowth.partners

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedromrejai

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