respect, integrity, dependability

Jacob Stern & Sons Inc. is a privately-owned importer, exporter, processor and distributor of specialty agricultural products. Our company is built upon the values passed down to us by our founder:

Respect – We respect all individuals. We approach the workplace and our jobs with respect.

Integrity – We approach all business and social matters with the highest level of integrity and honesty.

Commitment – Our word is our bond. We live by our commitments no matter how difficult or costly doing so may be. We are committed to our customers, suppliers, and fellow employees.

Employees – Our employees are the Company’s most valued assets.

Those values have been rewarded with long-standing relationships and a reputation synonymous with quality. That’s success we’re extremely proud of.

Today, Jacob Stern & Sons has grown to include four distinct business lines to better serve the needs of manufacturers at home in the U.S. and abroad. We invite you to learn more.

As one of the longest-running family-owned businesses in the U.S., Jacob Stern & Sons, Inc. is proud of a long history of innovation and growth.

In the beginning

Jacob Stern and his family arrived in America as German immigrants in the 1830s. By 1857, he was trading hides on the docks of Philadelphia.

Meet the executives who guide our company forward.

  • Philip L. Bernstein Chairman
  • Eric Logan Chief Executive Officer
  • Steve Kulchin Chief Human Resources Officer
  • David Geier Chief Financial Officer
  • Jeff Berger Chief Information Officer

Philip L. Bernstein, Chairman

Philip Bernstein began working for Jacob Stern & Sons, Inc. while in high school. He continued working for the company throughout college, and in March of 1964, began his full-time career with the company at the Jacob Stern & Sons’ facility in Philadelphia.

After holding positions of increasing responsibility, Mr. Bernstein assumed full management for the company and its divisions in the mid-1970’s. In 1980, Mr. Bernstein acquired all remaining family-owned shares of Jacob Stern & Sons, becoming the sole owner of the company.

In 1984, Mr. Bernstein relocated the company’s headquarters from the Philadelphia area to Santa Barbara, California. He continued to manage the daily operations of Jacob Stern & Sons and its divisions until 2002, when the first non-family CEO of the company was appointed. Mr. Bernstein retained the position of Chairman, a role he continues to maintain in the present day.