SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Yet another acquisition has gone under GrubMarket’s belt. The company announced the completion of its acquisition of Best Oriental Produce.

“Best Oriental Produce is one of the strongest businesses we have acquired, and Ben [Charoensuk] is one of the most impressive leaders we have welcomed to our company,” Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer of GrubMarket, explained. “Remarkably, Ben has been able to steer Best Oriental Produce to a spotless profitability record; in 35 years of existence, the business never lost money and was highly profitable the entire time.”

As you can see, Best Oriental Produce is a strong addition to GrubMarket’s portfolio, a fact that Xu only emphasized.

“On top of that, Best Oriental Produce has dominant supply positions across many in-demand items like Asian squash, Chinese eggplant, and Thai coconuts, and most of its top customers have been doing business with the company for over 15 years,” he added. “This acquisition enables GrubMarket to strengthen its presence in Southern California. We are thrilled to welcome the Best Oriental Produce team to the GrubMarket family.”

Founded over 35 years ago, Best Oriental Produce is now a large-scale produce import and export business that grows a wide variety of Asian produce, such as bitter melon, Chinese eggplant, long bean, and Asian squash, across broad open field farms and greenhouse facilities.

“I have been passionate about growing and providing delicious Asian fruits and vegetables to a wide consumer base ever since I moved to the U.S. from Thailand nearly 40 years ago,” said Ben Charoensuk, Owner of Best Oriental Produce. “When I started this business, I never expected it to grow as big as it has become. Today, we are the largest Chinese eggplant grower in the world and likely the largest Asian produce provider nationwide.”

After the acquisition, the business will continue to be managed by its current leadership team.

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ANUK will continue to report on the latest acquisition news in the industry, so stay tuned!

MILLEN, GA - After careful deliberation, the Southeast Produce Council is pleased to announce this year's SEPC Nolan Family Foundation Scholarship recipient. The association named Mark Fuehrer, son of Milton Fuehrer of Michigan Fresh Marketing, as this year’s recipient.

According to a press release, the recipients of the Nolan Family Foundation Scholarship receive a one-time scholarship of $5,000. All SEPC scholarships are awarded to applicants who meet the application criteria of having a parent or grandparent who is a corporate member in good standing with the SEPC.

Applicants must be either graduating high school seniors or enrolled as college freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors and must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

As the association went on to note, the scholarship was established to memorialize Jim Nolan, who took an ethical stand on a business matter at great cost to himself. As a result of his professional ethics, Nolan was ostracized by colleagues and remained isolated in his efforts to maintain moral integrity in his workplace. Tragically, Nolan passed away before the trial that vindicated his actions by a judge and a jury of 13 who found in his favor.

SEPC offers its sincere thanks to Theresa Nolan for providing this scholarship to the members of the Southeast Produce Council.

Congratulations to Mark Fuehrer on this scholarship!

ORLANDO, FL - What would peak mango season be without a fun and creative campaign from the National Mango Board (NMB) helping to fuel consumer demand? The organization is celebrating this advantageous promotional window with the launch of a mobile experiential activation: Joy Ride.

“We are thrilled to bring Joy Ride to life and share the incredible taste and versatility of fresh mangos with consumers in a new and exciting way,” said National Mango Board Director of Marketing Dan Spellman. “By visiting consumers in these markets, we’re creating unforgettable, fun experiences while educating participants on the nutritional benefits of mangos and inspiring people to get creative with mango recipes.”

The new initiative elevates the mango experience with a mobile mango food truck tour, which aims to spread the joy of fresh mangos across four cities: Frisco, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; and Oxford, Mississippi. The mobile food truck will visit a variety of high-traffic locations to share the joy of mangos at popular grocery stores, sporting events, and more.

As a press release explained, Joy Ride is designed to captivate consumers, immersing them into the world of fresh mangos with exciting on-site activations, a mango snack bar, photo opportunities, and a memorable mango mascot.

The mango food truck kicks off in Frisco on August 24 at Kroger and August 25 at Frisco Roughriders’ minor league baseball team stadium. The tour then hits Florida with stops at the Tallahassee Publix on September 1 and Florida State University for the Florida State vs. Boston College football game on September 2, followed by a stop at the Pensacola Publix on September 4. The tour wraps up in Oxford with an on-campus event at Ole Miss on September 6, followed by an Ole Miss vs. Middle Tennessee Game Day experience on September 7.

With the mobile mango food truck on the move, we are sure to see increased interest in the category across these key markets!

For more category-driving strategies, you know where to click.

HAMILTON, MT - Establishing strong buyer relationships within the industry is key, especially as companies seek to expand their distribution footprint. Local Bounti’s recent partnership with Sam’s Club does exactly that, expanding its distribution network with the retailer.

"The past several months have been pivotal for Local Bounti with the commencement of commercial operations at our new growing facilities in Washington and Texas," remarked Kathleen Valiasek, President and Chief Financial Officer. "The incremental capacity afforded by these facilities is critical in our effort to provide our retail customers consistent access to fresh, sustainable, locally grown produce.”

Service for the leafy greens will commence out of Local Bounti’s recently opened CEA facility in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

According to a press release, the grower is now fulfilling shipments to six Sam's Club regional distribution centers from two of its facilities, including the one in Byron, Georgia.

“In connection with our offtake agreement with Sam's Club, we are thrilled to expand our distribution with them and utilize capacity from our Texas facility. We have worked tirelessly to optimize our operations and have applied these learnings to our sites in Texas and Washington, both of which are demonstrating the advantages we identified when setting out to leverage our patented Stack & Flow Technology® at these purpose-built facilities,” added Valiasek.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we cover what’s happening in fresh produce.

UNICOI, TN - Lipman Family Farms is funneling even more strength into its farming network, announcing the addition of Unicoi, Tennessee-based Jones & Church Farms.

“The Jones & Church team has always provided top-quality product and been honorable and sincere partners, offering the best tomatoes in the country between the months of July-October,” said Elyse Lipman, Chief Executive Officer at Lipman Family Farms. “Now, our companies and families are joining forces. Together as Lipman, we are positioned stronger than ever to provide year-round supply to our customers with an expert team.”

This acquisition underscores Lipman's unwavering commitment to family farming, sustainable practices, and the expansion of fresh produce availability throughout the United States, a press release explained.

Jones & Church and Lipman Family Farms have been close partners since 1996 when they started buying and marketing their tomatoes after the opening of Custom Pak, Lipman’s repack operations. This partnership later became instrumental in Lipman’s seasonal supply in the East.

"This partnership is a wonderful continuation of my father's legacy," said Renea Jones, whose parents, Carl and Sue Jones, started Jones & Church alongside Buckley and Charlene Church. "Our families have shared values and a deep respect for the land and community, making this union a perfect fit. We are excited about the future and the opportunities it brings for our farm and the local community."

Jones & Church Farms is now entering its third generation, continuing its legacy of growing Romas and round tomatoes during the July–October growing season. By investing in this critical tomato location and season, Lipman is doubling down on its commitment to supplying stable, year-round produce to its customers.

The addition of Jones & Church Farms aligns with the grower’s dedication to supporting family-run businesses and increasing production capacity.

"We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Tennessee farming community," Lipman added. "Family farming is in our DNA, and we are committed to supporting and growing with like-minded partners who share our values."

In addition to Tennessee, Lipman has also continued to expand its open-field acreage in Florida over the last year.

As family remains a central value in its culture, Lipman Family Farms continues to acquire and support family-owned operations.

While the company continues to put these expansion plans in play, ANUK will be here with the latest updates.