RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — Piping Rock Health Products LLC has hired Richard Scoza as vice president of customer development and strategic planning.

Richard Scoza

The dietary supplements manufacturer and distributor said Monday that Scoza will be responsible for creating strategic initiatives to spur the growth and development of Piping Rock’s wholesale division, including its Nature’s Truth and Sundance Vitamins brands and store brands.

Scoza also will be charged with driving incremental category growth via strategic retailer partnerships, leading teams to develop innovative products, customer marketing and store concepts.

“My approach to the marketplace has always been in understanding the customer’s needs and developing unique strategies that accomplish those goals,” Scoza said in a statement. “Customers recognize this as a refreshing change, which helps build strong collaborative relationships and fosters growth.”

Scoza began his career in the sales and marketing team at Gerber Products, where he held several positions of increasing responsibility over the course of nine years. He was introduced to the supplements industry when he joined Legend Pharmaceutical, where as executive director and senior vice president he led growth to more than 500 stores in over 10 years at the company.

In 1991, Scoza joined Nature’s Bounty as the sales manager for the wholesale division. At the company, he managed the independent and chain sales teams, boosting sales, marketing and distribution for the vitamins and supplments maker to help its U.S. Nutrition division’s sales grow to more than $1.5 billion. Scoza became president of the U.S. Nutrition unit in 2014 before stepping down later that year.

“Rich has an impressive 30-plus years of experience in the dietary supplement and nutrition industry,” stated Scott Rudolph, chief executive officer of Piping Rock. “His passion for developing an open-minded, customer-centric approach to business while implementing innovative strategies aligns with our company’s core values and will make him an invaluable member of our team.”

Piping Rock’s wholesale divisions include Nature’s Truth, Sundance Vitamins and Princeton Research Health brands.