Erich Kaepp is a people-first leader who believes great operations are built by great teams. As Chief Production and Supply Chain Officer at Gallo and a member of its Executive Leadership Team, he is responsible for wine and spirits production and distribution across 21 sites in California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. He leads more than 3,800 team members across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Procurement, with an annual operating budget of nearly $700 million. His leadership is grounded in coaching and developing individuals, building teams with a clear sense of purpose, and aligning each person's career aspirations with the organization's long-term success.
Erich's commitment to people shows most clearly in the communities where Gallo operates. He led the culture, operating strategy, construction, and startup of Gallo's Chester County, South Carolina facility, creating manufacturing jobs and building a workforce from the ground up. His goal is for Chester County to carry on the Gallo family legacy as a multi-generational facility, where people start as operators and grow into technicians, mechanics, and leaders. He is a strong advocate for partnerships between industry and education, such as Modesto's VOLT Institute, that expand the size and skills of America's technical workforce and open pathways into well-paying careers. Before his current role, Erich served as Vice President of Corporate Manufacturing and Engineering, leading operations and engineering across Gallo's manufacturing sites.
Before joining Gallo, as a Partner with Barry-Wehmiller Design Group, Erich hired and mentored a team of 24 engineering professionals, guiding their development as they built the firm's presence in San Antonio, Southwest Texas, and Mexico. He also led a major packaging expansion for Constellation Brands in Piedras Negras, Mexico, and oversaw new line installations for PepsiCo at multiple U.S. facilities that took millions of freight miles off the road.
That same focus on people defined Erich's career at Owens-Illinois. As Plant Manager of the company's largest facility, a 35-line operation, he streamlined operations and led his team to exceptional results through the Great Recession of 2007 and 2008. Earlier, as Plant Manager of the Greenfield Iowa City, Iowa facility, he led its construction and the hiring, training, and launch of plant operations, building a positive and productive work environment from day one. As Quality Manager, he implemented a Lean Six Sigma program that drove production efficiency and a culture of continuous improvement.
The roots of Erich's leadership trace back to the United States Army, where he served as a Company Executive Officer and Platoon Leader. He managed logistics and supply, long- and short-term planning, training preparation and execution, maintenance, and combat readiness. Mentoring and motivating his soldiers were central to the unit's effectiveness, and the experience taught him how to lead diverse cultures and workplaces.
Erich earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University, where he was in the Army ROTC program and a member of Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, travel, golf, and military modeling.
