Olympia, Wash., Jun. 23 - Four leading berry producers—MBG Marketing (MBG), a Michigan-based blueberry grower; Hortifrut S.A. (HF), a berry-growing corporation based in Santiago, Chile; Munger Brothers Farms (MB) in Delano, Calif.; and Pan-American Berry Growers LLC (PBG) of Salem, Ore.—have banded together to form Naturipe Foods LLC, a value-added berry marketing company
Headquartered in Olympia, Wash., the new company will leverage the brand strength of sister fresh-pack company Naturipe Farms and will constitute the largest grower-owned producer and marketer of value-added berries in North America—berries that provide traceability, sustainability and seed-to-customer production management.
Naturipe Foods has been established to offer customers year-round access to the finest in berry products. Naturipe Foods will annually grow, process and source the largest market share of blueberries available in North America and will have significant reach in other berries, including blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. The partnership has created one point of contact for product consistency, tailor-made customer solutions and an expanded product line that includes IQF, purees, concentrates, powders, extracts/essences and more.
There are over 1,000 grower-owners in the organization, with locations that span across the Western Hemisphere, from Chile to Canada. These various locations and growing seasons allow Naturipe Foods to offer customers berry products at their peak, year-round. The organization also has and maintains the ability to work with customers to source and distribute other non-berry fruits.
Naturipe Foods maintains close ties with end customers and works to provide a customized approach based on need. If the demand for a specified berry increases, Naturipe Foods can plan ahead to meet it. Naturipe Foods will be launching a new company Web site in the summer of 2008 that will continue to enhance its relationships with its customers.
With more than 100 years of experience growing the world's finest berries and the strength of a global sourcing network, Naturipe Foods is poised to provide customers increased benefits, streamlined services, and more nutritious, natural and healthful berry products.