LOXAHATCHEE, FL - J&J Family of Farms has formed a strategic alliance with Boca Raton, Florida-based company Thomas Produce Company, effective immediately.
The move combines both companies’ respective farm production, adding up to approximately 14,000 acres of farmed land in the U.S. and Mexico. J&J will only assume sales and marketing responsibilities for Thomas Produce. Both organizations will maintain their current employees.
“This transaction marks a significant milestone for J&J, not only adding scale to our business, but also providing opportunities for us to better serve our customers and forge our path as a leader in the produce industry,” said Lynn Rundle, Chairman of the Board and CEO of J&J.
Norman Thomas, CEO of Thomas Produce, said in a statement, “With over three generations strong, we feel that the Thomas family farming legacy and best practices established by our father John Thomas, is best continued and strengthened for the future through this new relationship with J&J.”
Stephen Thomas, CFO of Thomas Produce, expressed his excitement for the partnership, noting that Thomas Produce will become a shareholder in J&J Holdings, resulting in a shared partnership as it relates to all aspects of J&J’s business.
Stephen Thomas will join J&J Holdings’ Board of Directors. He and Tommy LaSalle, General Manager of Thomas Produce, will also join J&J sales and marketing advisory committee.
Chris Coffman, the driving force behind this relationship and former President and COO at J&J, will now step into the newly created role of Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy.
“[Chris’s] deep knowledge of the industry and our marketplace, combined with his vision and passion for finding ways to better serve our customers and ultimately our consumers, make him the ideal leader for his and other similar initiatives into the future,” Rundle continued.
Coffman said he was pleased to have Thomas Produce as part of the J&J Family of Farms and that the Thomas family’s “exemplary reputation in the industry brings great value to J&J.”
“Through this partnership we expect to be better able to serve our customers, with opportunities for additional value added programs, while we accelerate our shared commitment to excel in food safety, social responsibility, and best farming practices,” said Coffman.
J&J manages over 4,000 acres of production from its own farms and partners, and has operations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Thomas Produce generates over five million boxes each year of bell peppers, specialty peppers, squash, cucumbers, and green beans.
