Title: Chief Executive Officer
Company: Bevara HPP Tolling Services
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Kevin Louis Forrest, president at Bevara HPP Tolling Services, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements and leadership in High Pressure Processing Technology.
Mr. Forrest has established a successful career spanning over 20 years in the foodservice and high-pressure processing industries, marked by resilience, innovation and leadership. Since 2025, as the chief executive officer of Bevara HPP Tolling Services at the company’s headquarters in North Carolina, he manages all aspects of the business, including Safe Quality Food and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point compliance, construction oversight, contract management, property coordination and machinery logistics. Mr. Forrest is also responsible for facilitating the import of specialized equipment from Spain and ensuring operational excellence across the organization.
Based in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, Bevara HPP Tolling Services uses a process that dramatically extends product shelf life while preserving taste, texture and nutritional value. The company uses a non-thermal HPP technology that effectively inactivates harmful microorganisms and enzymes without heat or additives.
Before his current role, Mr. Forrest served as the vice president of information systems at Village Juice & Kitchen from 2021 to 2023. In this capacity, he was instrumental in optimizing business processes to support company growth. His expertise in technology integration and process improvement contributed significantly to the organization’s operational efficiency. Mr. Forrest initially worked for Village Juice Kitchen from 2018 to 2019 as a manager of supply chain, logistics and purchasing.
From 2019 to 2021, Mr. Forrest was the general manager for Style Crest® in the Mid-Atlantic region. During this period, he led two sales teams and managed a 100,000-square-foot facility. Under his direction, the company’s revenue increased by 40%. Despite these achievements, evolving expectations for further growth led to a mutual decision to part ways. This role followed a pivotal chapter in Mr. Forrest’s career, marked by the closure of his fourth-generation foodservice distribution family, Forrest Foodservice, which was acquired by Merchants Foodservice in 2016. The end of this legacy marked an emotional turning point for him and required him to navigate a four-year non-compete clause that kept him out of the food industry.
Mr. Forrest’s earlier experience included serving as a district sales manager at Merchants Foodservice and Performance Foodservice from 2016 to 2017, where he managed client relationships and drove sales initiatives across multiple territories. He also excelled as the vice president of operations and procurement at EG Forrest Company, Merchants Foodservice and Performance Foodservice between 2010 and 2016.
Among other opportunities, Mr. Forrest gained expertise as a buyer, then as a senior buyer at EG Forrest Company, Merchants Foodservice, and Performance Foodservice, starting in 2006. His career dates back to 2002 when he was first hired as a district sales representative at EG Forrest Company, Merchants Foodservice and Performance Foodservice.
In preparation for his future, Mr. Forrest earned a Bachelor of Science in economics and business from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, in 2001. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in high-pressure processing technology, food service operations, business startups and regulatory compliance.
Attributing his success to self-belief, perseverance and an unwavering commitment to doing what is right, Mr. Forrest grew up immersed in the family business, which inspired his early interest in the industry. Looking ahead, he remains dedicated to expanding access to high-pressure processing technology within the field, aiming to enhance food safety by promoting methods that effectively neutralize harmful microbes while preserving nutritional value without thermal intervention.
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