PHOENIX, AZ - Charlie’s Produce, a leading independent, employee-owned produce distributor serving the western United States, announced the full operational integration of its Phoenix operations following the acquisition of Stern Produce in 2024. With systems, branding, and supply chain integration now complete, Charlie’s Produce is positioned to serve foodservice, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and education customers across Arizona.

The acquisition brought together two family-founded companies with deep roots in the produce industry: Stern Produce, founded in Phoenix in 1917, and Charlie’s Produce, which has served western markets for almost 50 years. Over the past two years, the combined team has focused on aligning operations, integrating technology systems, expanding resources, and strengthening service capabilities to ensure customers receive consistent quality and service.

“We were intentional about taking the time to do this right,” said Tygann Billow, Chief Executive Officer of Charlie’s Produce, in the recent release. “Now that integration is complete, we’re proud to officially share that Charlie’s Produce in Phoenix is in an optimal position to support customers across Arizona with the scale, service, and product knowledge they expect.”

Today, more than 60 team members support the Phoenix operation, serving schools, restaurants, independent retailers, resorts, healthcare facilities, senior care providers, and foodservice operators throughout Arizona. The operation enables Charlie’s Produce to provide businesses seeking fresh produce supply an expanded portfolio of conventional, certified organic, and specialty produce backed by food safety expertise, cold-chain logistics, and deep grower partnerships spanning key growing regions.

“This union brings together generations of local market knowledge with the strength of a regional leader,” said Bill Stern, General Manager, Phoenix. “Our customers now benefit from broader product access, expanded specialty and organic offerings combined with a service-first approach that puts their needs at the center of everything we do.”

With Arizona’s rapid population growth and continued expansion in retail, hospitality, and foodservice, Charlie’s Produce sees Phoenix as a critical hub for future growth. The operation also represents the company’s 11th regional distribution facility, reinforcing its ability to serve customers throughout the western United States.

OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce, Inc., a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, with additional offerings in mangos and blueberries, announced that its Board of Directors has approved the adoption of a limited duration stockholder rights plan, effective January 21, 2026, with a one-year duration expiring on January 21, 2027.

The Rights Plan was approved in response to the accumulation of the Company’s common stock by a strategic investor, Globalharvest Holdings Venture Ltd. The Company has engaged, and expects to continue to engage, in dialogue with Globalharvest Holdings Venture Ltd. regarding its investment in the Company. However, discussions to date have not resulted in any commitments regarding Globalharvest’s intended level of ownership. The Rights Plan is designed to promote the fair and equal treatment of all stockholders and to reduce the likelihood that any person or group gains control or undue influence over the Company through open market accumulations or other tactics without paying all shareholders an appropriate control premium. The Rights Plan is not being adopted in response to a proposal or intended to deter offers that are fair and otherwise in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders, and does not prevent the Board from considering or negotiating any proposal.

The Rights Plan is similar to other plans adopted by publicly held companies in comparable circumstances. Under the plan, one preferred stock purchase right will be distributed for each share of common stock held by stockholders of record on February 4, 2026. Under certain circumstances, each right will entitle stockholders to buy one one-hundredth of a share of newly-created Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock of the Company at an exercise price of $63.00. The Company’s Board of Directors may redeem the rights at $0.01 per right at any time before a person or group has acquired 15% or more of the outstanding common stock. Additionally, at any time after a person or group becomes an acquiring person and before such person or group acquires 50% or more of the outstanding common stock, the Board of Directors may exchange the outstanding rights (other than those held by the acquiring person, which will be void) for shares of common stock at an exchange rate of one share of common stock per right, subject to adjustment. The Rights Plan is effective January 21, 2026, and has a one-year duration, expiring on January 21, 2027, subject to the Company’s right to extend such date, unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company or terminated.

Subject to limited exceptions, if a person or group acquires 15% or more of the Company’s common stock (including shares that are synthetically owned pursuant to derivative transactions or ownership of derivative securities) or announces a tender offer and the consummation of that offer would result in such ownership (we refer to such a person or group as an “acquiring person”), each right will entitle its holder to purchase, at the right’s then-current exercise price, a number of shares of common stock having a market value at that time of two times the right’s exercise price. Rights held by the acquiring person will become void and will not be exercisable. If the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction that has not been approved by the Board of Directors after the rights become exercisable, each right will entitle its holder to purchase, at the right’s then-current exercise price, a number of shares of the acquiring company’s common stock having a market value at that time of two times the right’s exercise price.

The dividend distribution to establish the new Rights Plan will be payable to stockholders of record on February 4, 2026. The rights distribution is not taxable to stockholders. Further details about the rights plan will be contained in a Form 8-K to be filed by the Company with the SEC.

GUATEMALA - Born Farms has launched a commercial Baby Zucchini program, marking a significant expansion of its specialty-vegetable portfolio and reinforcing Central America’s growing role in high-precision produce supply for North America.

A Category Built on Precision

While baby zucchini has long been popular in foodservice and premium retail, the category has been difficult to scale due to strict sizing requirements, fragile handling, and inconsistent field performance. Born Farms developed its program to solve those challenges through a vertically integrated, data-driven production model. Weekly plantings and daily harvests are required, with strict size specifications of 9 to 11 centimeters, where even a one-day delay can shift fruit out of the “baby” category.

Engineered Beyond the Field

To protect the delicate crop, Born Farms redesigned its post-harvest system with specialized harvest methods, cushioning during transport, rapid cooling, and validated packaging to minimize mechanical damage and preserve shelf life during export to the U.S. and Canada.

Backed by an Integrated Supply Chain

Because Born Farms grows, packs, and ships from a single integrated platform, the company maintains control across every step of the process, a critical requirement for successfully commercializing specialty vegetables that do not tolerate variability.

Industry Perspective

“Baby zucchini is not a crop you can manage casually,” said Allan Safieh, CEO of Born Farms, in the recent release. “If you don’t control planting schedules, harvest timing, and the cold chain with precision, you don’t have a baby vegetable, you have oversized zucchini. This program took months of agronomic, operational, and post-harvest engineering before it ever reached customers.”

Availability

Born Farms’ Baby Zucchini is now shipping to retail and foodservice partners across North America as part of the company’s expanding specialty-vegetable lineup.