Arable Capital Partners Announces Strategic Combination of organicgirl, Braga Fresh, and Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle; Tim Stejskal, Mark Drever, and More Comment

BELLEVUE, WA - Arable Capital Partners, LLC, a leading investor in sustainable food and agribusiness, announced that its portfolio company, organicgirl, LLC, the U.S. market leader in branded organic salads, has successfully acquired Braga Fresh, LLC through a merger, followed by the acquisition of Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle, a former division of Dole plc.

Braga Fresh is a vertically integrated grower and processor of both conventional and organic vegetables, offering salad kits, blends, and fresh-packed vegetables. Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle has a long-standing reputation for delivering a comprehensive range of value-added salad blends, kits, and vegetables under the well-known Dole and Bud of California brands.

Tim Stejskal has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the newly combined entity. Tim joined Arable as an Operating Partner in 2023 after serving as CEO of Fresh Innovations and spending over two decades at Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle as General Manager and Senior Vice President of Sales and Innovation. Commenting on the announcement, Tim said, “This new platform creates a diversified produce portfolio that strengthens each brand’s legacy of innovation and commitment to exceptional customer service.”

Mark Drever, Co-founder of organicgirl, added in the release, “This combination unlocks exciting new potential for the organicgirl brand and presents meaningful opportunities for the dedicated teams across all three companies. With enhanced resources and scale, we are even better positioned to deliver on our promise of quality and care to consumers.”

Rod Braga, President and CEO of Braga Fresh, said, “bringing these companies together creates an exciting new chapter. It allows us to continue offering exceptional value to our customers, expand opportunities for our world-class grower partners, and support the growth and development of our talented employees.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle and Braga Fresh into the organicgirl platform and the Arable portfolio,” said Derek Yurosek, Managing Director of Arable Capital Partners. “Each company is a leader in its segment and together they create a powerful platform poised for long-term growth and success.”

Greg Richards, Managing Director of Arable, added, “Arable was formed to provide investors with unique opportunities to partner with great businesses and operators and create value. The merger of organicgirl, Braga Fresh, and Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle does exactly this in combining industry leaders across the salad and vegetable sectors, enabling continued market growth for these businesses and their customers, growers, and shareholders.