Verfrut

What Verfrut does

Verfrut (Sociedad Exportadora Verfrut S.A.) is a vertically integrated Chilean fresh-produce grower and exporter, founded in 1996 by Romano Vercellino and headquartered in Las Cabras, Chile, with a major operating base in Piura, Peru. The company manages more than 7,500 hectares of orchards across Chile and Peru — making it the largest individual fruit grower in Chile and the largest grape grower in Peru — and runs six state-of-the-art packing facilities (five in Chile, one in Peru) where 100% of exported fruit is packed under advanced certifications.

Its product portfolio is broad and counter-seasonal: table grapes (the flagship, with 8 varieties in Peru and 7 in Chile), cherries, apples, blueberries, kiwifruit, nectarines, peaches, plums, European and Asian pears, clementines, limes, and avocados. Verfrut exported over 14.5 million cases (150,000+ tons) in the 2022/2023 season and is scaling toward 25+ million boxes and 210,000 tons of own-orchard volume over the coming two years. Customers are global retailers and wholesalers served through a mix of retail-direct programs and importer/distributor channels; North America (~35%) and Asia (~35%) are anchor markets, with Europe (notably via Forever Fresh Europe with GrapeHubBV in Holland) and South America as secondary regions across 50+ countries.

Distribution and logistics are executed through four jointly-controlled commercial platforms: Forever Fresh LLC (US/Canada JV, $50M+ in sales, growing ~20% annually), Forever Fresh Europe (with GrapeHubBV), OREGYN (China JV with Copefrut), and United Cargo Company (a shipping group operating 45,000+ containers across Chile, Peru, and Costa Rica). In January 2024, Verfrut was acquired by Unifrutti Group (backed by Abu Dhabi-based ADQ), making it part of Unifrutti's global multi-fruit platform with combined leadership under Mohamed Elsarky as Group CEO, while Vercellino continues as founder/President. Verfrut's competitive positioning rests on scale, vertical integration, the full certification stack (BRC, Global Gap, SMETA, Tesco Nature, Rainforest Alliance, SMART PLANET), and ESG initiatives such as the largest floating PV plant in South America at Quilamuta.

Name

Verfrut

Legal name

Sociedad Exportadora Verfrut S.A.

Website

https://verfrut.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Verfrut is a vertically integrated Chilean fresh-fruit grower and exporter operating 7,500+ hectares of orchards in Chile and Peru, producing table grapes, cherries, apples, berries, stone fruit, and citrus for global retailers and wholesalers across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Fruit Production and Export

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448), Apple Orchards (111331), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Import / Export Produce Wholesale (Cross-Border Trading) (AFAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pome Fruit Orchards (Apples, Pears, Quinces) (AFAGACAB), Tropical & Subtropical Fruit Orchards (Avocados, Mangoes, Bananas/Plantains, Pineapples, Papayas) (AFAGACAF), Post-Harvest Grape Handling & Logistics (Sorting, Bins, Transport to Winery/Packhouse) (AFAGAJAH), Dried Fruit & Fruit Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAL)

Keywords

• Fresh fruit production
• Table grape export
• Cherry export
• Fresh produce export
• Stone fruit export

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Cabras

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Fruit Production and Export: Vertically integrated fresh produce growing, processing, and global export. The company grows grapes, cherries, apples, blueberries, stone fruits, and other crops across Chile and Peru, exporting to over 50 countries on five continents.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Verfrut is a vertically integrated fresh fruit grower, packer, and global exporter that cultivates and ships table grapes, cherries, apples, blueberries, kiwifruit, nectarines, peaches, plums, pears (European and Asian), clementines, limes, and avocados from over 7,500 hectares of orchards across Chile and Peru. All exported fruit is packed in Verfrut's own six state-of-the-art facilities and shipped to more than 50 countries via retail-direct programs and a network of commercial platforms and logistics partners.

Product overview

Verfrut is a vertically integrated fresh fruit producer and exporter operating in Chile and Peru. The company manages over 7,500 hectares of orchards and operates 6 packing facilities (5 in Chile, 1 in Peru). The product portfolio comprises a diverse range of fruits including table grapes (the company's flagship product and largest grape exporter in Peru), cherries, apples, blueberries, kiwifruit, nectarines, peaches, plums, European pears, Asian pears, clementines, limes, and avocados. Verfrut exports to over 50 countries across 5 continents, with North America and Asia representing approximately 35% of sales each. The company was founded in 1996 by Romano Vercellino and was acquired by Unifrutti Group in January 2024. Associated companies include Forever Fresh LLC (US/Canada joint venture), Forever Fresh Europe (distribution partnership with GrapeHubBV), United Cargo Company (shipping group), and OREGYN (China commercial platform with Copefrut).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Verfrut Premium Grapes: Premium quality grapes branded under Verfrut Premium label

Products and services

• Table Grapes Premium table grapes grown in Peru (8 varieties) and Chile (7 varieties), available October to January. Verfrut is recognized as the largest grape exporter in Peru.
• Cherries Sweet cherries with 7 varieties available in December.
• Apples Apple varieties including 14 types available February to August.
• Blueberries Blueberries with 4 varieties available July to December.
• Kiwifruit Kiwifruit with 1 variety (Hayward) available March to August.
• Nectarines Smooth-skinned peach varieties with 25 types available November to April.
• Peaches Peach varieties with 12 types available November to February.
• Plums Plum varieties with 13 types available.
• European Pears European pear varieties with 13 types available December to April.
• Asian Pears Asian pear varieties with 3 types available February to May.
• Clementines Clementine varieties with 1 type available June to July.
• Limes Citrus limes with 2 varieties available December to July.
• Avocados (Palta) Avocados rich in vitamins, minerals, lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exported more than 15 million boxes last season with projection of over 25 million boxes in coming years
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forever Fresh LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint venture between Verfrut and 2 other top Chilean Exporters. Currently has sales of more than US$50 million, growing at a yearly rate of 20% with sales through US and Canada.
• Forever Fresh EuropecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership between Verfrut and GrapeHubBV, established as Verfrut's distribution company in Europe. Based in Holland, it markets Verfrut's grapes, stone fruit, apples, pears, and kiwi fruit among retailers and wholesalers in Northern, Central and Southern Europe.
• United Cargo Company (UCC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 2010 between Verfrut and 3 partners as a shipping group for worldwide exports. With presence in Chile, Peru and Costa Rica, UCC has become one of the top Latin Americas shipping groups, operating more than 45,000 containers around the world.
• OregyncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial platform of Verfrut and Copefrut operating in China market.
• UAE GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) partner facilitating bilateral trade and investment in agriculture between UAE and Latin American countries including Chile.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Unifrutti Group: Global multi-fruit platform that acquired Verfrut in January 2024 and operates its own integrated production and distribution across multiple continents. Directly comparable in vertical integration, fresh fruit export focus, and target retail customers.
• Driscoll's: World's largest berry marketer, sourcing blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries from independent growers in Chile, Peru, and other regions. Direct overlap with Verfrut's blueberry program and Chilean/Peruvian sourcing footprint.
• Copefrut: Chilean fruit exporter and Verfrut's JV partner in the OREGYN China distribution platform. Operates in overlapping fresh fruit categories (apples, grapes, cherries) with similar target markets and comparable scale.
• Subsole: Major Chilean fresh fruit grower and exporter with operations across grapes, citrus, avocados, and other categories. Directly comparable to Verfrut in Southern Hemisphere export model and global retail-direct distribution.
• Frusan (Frutera San Fernando): Chilean vertically integrated fresh fruit producer and exporter with similar product portfolio (grapes, apples, stone fruit, citrus) and global retail customer base. Directly comparable in scale and category mix.
• Mission Produce: World's largest avocado grower, packer, and ripener with vertically integrated operations in Peru, California, and other regions. Direct overlap with Verfrut's avocado program and Peruvian production footprint.
• Stemilt Growers: Vertically integrated US-based grower and packer of apples, cherries, pears, and stone fruit. Directly comparable in apple and cherry categories and in retail-direct distribution model, though primarily Northern Hemisphere.
• CMI Orchards: One of the largest US apple, pear, and cherry growers and marketers. Comparable to Verfrut in apple and pear production focus and retail-direct sales motion, primarily serving US market.

Broad incumbents

• Dole Food Company: One of the world's largest fresh produce companies with vertically integrated operations spanning fruit, vegetables, and packaged foods. Overlaps with Verfrut in fresh fruit exports to global retailers but operates at significantly larger scale across many categories.
• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Vertically integrated global producer, distributor, and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables with significant presence in the Americas and similar retail-direct distribution model. Comparable as a broad incumbent in fresh fruit exports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soc-exportadora-verfrut-s-a-

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Verfrut