Naturipe Berry Growers

What Naturipe Berry Growers does

Naturipe Berry Growers is a privately held agricultural corporation headquartered in Salinas, California, that grows and markets strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries on behalf of 150+ grower partners operating across California, Florida, and Mexico. Originally founded in 1917 as the Central California Berry Growers Association and renamed in 1922, the company formalized its consumer brand by trademarking "Naturipe" in 1960 and reorganized from a cooperative to a corporation in 2007 to broaden governance and capital flexibility.

Its commercial backbone is the 2002 Naturipe Farms partnership with Michigan Blueberry Growers and Chile's Hortifrut, which produces a year-round, multi-hemisphere fresh-berry supply and routes volume into U.S. retail channels. The company supplies berries under the Naturipe brand through direct retailer relationships, positioning its offering against larger peer Driscoll's; it does not disclose revenue, customer concentration, or pricing terms. Leadership includes CEO Rich Amirsehhi (~25 years at the company), CFO Jeff Mink, VP of Ag Operations Hank Guerrero, VP Southern & Florida Districts Sean Stevens, and VP of Sustainability & Product Integrity Sonny P. Marsh.

Technology and operations centers on proprietary berry cultivars developed through university breeding collaborations, integrated pest management, renewable-energy cold storage (avoiding ~500 metric tons CO2 at Watsonville and ~41 metric tons at other facilities), and water-conservation infrastructure. The business model is B2B produce supply: the company aggregates member-grower volume, applies centralized post-harvest handling and cold-chain operations, and sells year-round to "the strongest retailers in the country" through negotiated supply agreements typical of the fresh-berry category.

Name

Naturipe Berry Growers

Legal name

Naturipe Berry Growers Inc.

Website

https://naturipeberrygrowers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Naturipe Berry Growers is a Salinas, California-based grower corporation that markets strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries from 150+ partner farms across California, Florida, and Mexico to major U.S. retailers under the Naturipe brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Berry Production

NAICS

Strawberry Farming (111333), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA), Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAD)

Keywords

• Fresh berry production
• Wholesale strawberry supply
• Agricultural cooperative
• Proprietary berry breeding
• Retail produce distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Salinas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Berry Sales to Retailers: Naturipe Berry Growers generates revenue through the wholesale sale of premium strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries to major retail chains. Their grower-owned cooperative model enables them to supply year-round berry availability through diverse growing regions (California, Florida, Mexico).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Naturipe Berry Growers produces and wholesales premium strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries cultivated by a network of 150+ grower partners across California, Florida, and Mexico. The company sells these fresh berries directly to major national and regional retail grocery chains, leveraging proprietary breeding programs, sustainable agricultural practices, and renewable-energy cold storage to deliver year-round supply.

Product overview

Naturipe Berry Growers is a grower-owned cooperative that operates as a unified berry production and distribution platform. The company's core products are three berry varieties—Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blackberries—all produced through a network of 150+ dedicated grower partners across North American growing regions (California, Mexico, and Florida). These products are unified under the Naturipe brand, supported by proprietary breeding programs and collaborative research with universities. The company structure combines grower support services, sustainability initiatives, and food safety compliance with the berry production operations, enabling year-round availability of fresh berries through geographically distributed growing regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strawberries Premium strawberries produced by Naturipe Berry Growers' network of 150+ grower partners across California, Mexico, and Florida growing regions, known for consistent high quality, exceptional taste, size, and disease resistance through proprietary breeding programs. Sold wholesale to major U.S. retail chains.
• Raspberries Raspberries produced through Naturipe Berry Growers' collaborative growing network, with quality and varietal attributes enhanced through partnerships with universities and agricultural research entities for variety improvement focused on flavor, texture, and yield. Sold wholesale to major U.S. retail chains.
• Blackberries Blackberries grown by Naturipe Berry Growers' network of 150+ dedicated grower partners across multiple growing regions, with varietal development focused on consumer preferences for flavor, texture, and yield through proprietary breeding programs. Sold wholesale to major U.S. retail chains.

Quantifiable outcome

• Growers paid in days, not weeks - fastest payment cycles in industry
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Naturipe Farms (formerly Michigan Blueberry Growers and Chile's Hortifrut)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002In 2002, Naturipe Berry Growers partnered with Michigan Blueberry Growers and Chile's Hortifrut to form Naturipe Farms, creating a unified berry production and distribution company. This strategic alliance enabled year-round berry supply and expanded market reach across North America.
• UC Santa Barbara's Gevirtz Graduate School of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting educational initiatives and youth development in local communities where Naturipe operates. Empowers future educators while promoting diversity in education.
• CASA MontereyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help ensure foster children receive advocacy and care by connecting them with dedicated volunteers who champion their rights.
• Rancho Cielo Youth CampsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partnership providing educational and vocational training in a safe and affirming environment in Salinas, CA.
• Casa HogarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexico-based charitable initiative supporting girls from 3 to 15 years old and adults in need of special care. Naturipe team volunteers, provides donations including bicycles, and offers ongoing support.
• Asilo de Ancianos Maria AuxiliadoraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetirement facility in Mexico where Naturipe provides care and resources for elderly residents.
• Strawberry CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Strawberry Commission to support the agricultural industry in Mexico through advocacy and resources. Helps improve growing conditions, elevate farming practices, and provide critical support to ensure grower success.
• Universities and Agricultural Research EntitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research programs with universities to enhance berry variety quality. Includes variety improvement programs, field trials, sustainable practices development, and consumer insights gathering through taste tests and market research.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Giant Berry Farms: Grower-owned cooperative producing and distributing strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries to retailers across North America. Closely comparable cooperative structure, multi-berry portfolio, and B2B retailer model.
• Hortifrut: Chilean-origin berry producer (a Naturipe Farms joint venture partner) with a global blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry program. Highly comparable as a multi-region berry grower and direct counterparty within Naturipe Farms.
• Driscoll's: The largest fresh berry marketer in North America, producing strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries through a grower network. Directly comparable as a B2B berry supplier with proprietary genetics and national retail relationships.
• Well-Pict Berries: Specialty producer of strawberries and raspberries serving retailers nationwide with proprietary varieties. Directly comparable as a multi-region B2B berry grower focused on premium varieties and food-safety-driven retail programs.
• Reiter Affiliated Companies: Family-owned grower of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries supplying major North American retailers. Comparably positioned multi-berry grower with vertically integrated operations and proprietary breeding.
• Wish Farms: Florida-headquartered grower and shipper of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries supplying major U.S. retailers. Comparable as a vertically oriented berry producer with year-round program logic and similar customer concentration in grocery.
• Michigan Blueberry Growers: Cooperative of Michigan blueberry growers that co-formed Naturipe Farms with Naturipe Berry Growers and Hortifrut. Comparable as a grower-owned cooperative partner operating within the same distribution alliance.

Broad incumbents

• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Diversified fresh-produce producer and distributor with strawberry and other fresh-fruit programs serving major retailers. Comparable as a broad-line incumbent with overlapping B2B retail distribution capabilities.
• Dole Food Company: Global fresh-produce incumbent offering berries within a broader fruit and vegetable portfolio. Compares as a much larger generalist supplier competing for the same retailer shelf space and B2B produce contracts.

Emerging players

• Alpine Fresh: Importer and distributor of berries and other fresh produce, including strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Comparable as a complementary fresh-berry supplier active in the same U.S. retail produce channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NaturipeBerryGrowers
• Facebookfacebook.com/1669092456671912
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naturipe-berry-growers-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Naturipe Berry Growers