What Crystal Valley Foods does

Crystal Valley Foods is a Miami-headquartered, family-owned importer and distributor of premium specialty fruits and vegetables founded in 1994 by Jay Rodriguez (President and CEO). The company operates a vertically-integrated supply chain encompassing grower partnerships, packing facilities, and cold-chain distribution across North America. Sourcing spans owned/controlled farms and packing operations in Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the United States, with distribution centered on an 18-door Miami flagship facility, a Los Angeles (Crystal Valley West) facility, and three third-party satellite sites (McAllen TX, San Luis AZ, Northeast).

The product portfolio is unusually broad for a mid-sized importer, organized across roughly a dozen categories: asparagus (green, white, purple), berries (blackberries, blueberries), beans and peas (English peas, French beans, snow peas, sugar snap), baby vegetables (broccoli, carrots, corn, squash, zucchini), lettuces and greens, specialty peppers (Cachucha, Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, Shishito, Thai Chili), tomatoes (heirloom and beefsteak), tropical fruits (mango, papaya, passion fruit, guava, pomegranate arils), tropical roots (yuca, malanga, boniato, ginger, turmeric), and Asian specialty items (Chinese eggplant, bitter melon, okra, Indian eggplant). The portfolio has been expanded through two completed acquisitions — Team Produce (2017) for berries and Joco Produce (2019) for tropical/ethnic produce.

The business model is B2B fresh-produce distribution: Crystal Valley sells and delivers specialty produce in transaction-based volumes to leading retail grocers and foodservice distributors throughout North America on contracted terms; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company operates a sales-led GTM with dedicated personnel serving enterprise customers requiring large volumes, exacting quality standards, and reliable year-round supply. Differentiation rests on vertical integration (one of few US specialty suppliers with this profile), depth of grower partnerships, food-safety certifications (SQF, Primus GFS, Global GAP, FSMA, HACCP), and a coast-to-coast cold-chain footprint. Marketing is modest and primarily organic (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook) plus industry trade shows and a recipe-driven content site.

Name

Crystal Valley Foods

Legal name

Crystal Valley Foods

Website

https://crystalvalleyfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Crystal Valley Foods is a Miami-based, family-owned importer and vertically-integrated distributor of premium specialty produce — asparagus, berries, baby vegetables, peppers, tropical fruits, and Asian/ethnic items — supplying leading retail grocers and foodservice distributors throughout North America from owned farms and packing facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Produce Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Gourmet Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ethnic & International Foods Distribution (CRAOABAG)

Keywords

• Specialty produce distribution
• Fresh fruit import
• Fresh vegetable import
• Vertically integrated produce
• B2B produce supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Distribution: Crystal Valley Foods generates revenue through the distribution and sale of premium specialty fruits and vegetables to retail grocers and foodservice distributors throughout North America. They source from their own farms and through long-term grower partnerships, providing year-round supply of specialty produce including asparagus, berries, tropical fruits, Asian vegetables, and baby vegetables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Crystal Valley Foods imports and distributes premium specialty fresh fruits and vegetables to retail grocers and foodservice distributors throughout North America. The company sources from its own farms and long-term grower partnerships in Peru, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the United States, then delivers year-round assortments via its Miami and Los Angeles distribution centers with maintained cold-chain integrity.

Product overview

Crystal Valley Foods is a vertically-integrated specialty produce company offering a diverse portfolio of premium fruits and vegetables. Founded in 1994, the company operates through two main divisions: core specialty products including asparagus (Green, White, Purple), berries (Blackberries, Blueberries), baby vegetables (Baby Broccoli, Baby Carrots, Baby Corn, Baby Patty Pan Squash, Baby Sunburst Squash, Baby Green Zucchini), beans and peas (English Peas, French Beans, Green Beans, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas), lettuces and greens (Baby Green Oak Lettuce, Baby Green Romaine Lettuce, Baby Red Oak Lettuce, Baby Red Romaine Lettuce, Frisée, Lollo Rossa, Belgian Endive, Radicchio, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Okra), peppers (Cachucha Peppers, Habanero Peppers, Red Fresno Chili Peppers, Scotch Bonnet Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Thai Chili Peppers), and tomatoes (Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Yellow Beefsteak Tomatoes); and tropical products including tropical fruits (Breadfruit, Mingolo Mango, Solo Papaya, Passion Fruit, Pepino Melon, Pomegranate Arils, Star Fruit, Thai Guava), tropical roots and vegetables (Boniato, Calabaza, Chayote Squash, Ginger Root, Malanga Coco, Malanga Eddo, Malanga White, Tindora, Turmeric Root, White Ñame Root, Yuca), and Asian specialty items (Chinese Bitter Melon, Chinese Eggplant, Chinese Okra, Indian Eggplant). The company controls the entire supply chain from farm to fork through owned farms and packing facilities in Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the United States, with distribution centers in Miami and Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Asparagus Premium green asparagus imported year-round from Peru with seasonal supplies from Mexico, sold as one of Crystal Valley's flagship core products via long-term grower partnerships.
• White Asparagus Delicate white asparagus grown without sunlight exposure, slightly milder and sweeter than green asparagus with a hint of nuttiness, imported from Peru.
• Purple Asparagus Striking dark purple asparagus with subtly distinct flavor and about 20% more sugar than other varieties, available during limited season from Mexico and the United States.
• English Peas Hand-shucked garden peas packed in Guatemala year-round, removed from pod for convenience with high sugar content.
• French Beans Smaller, slimmer pods compared to green beans (haricots verts), delicately hand-harvested from farms in Guatemala.
• Green Beans Crisp green beans harvested from farms in Guatemala and the United States, offered unsnipped in bulk or snipped, washed, and ready to eat.
• Snow Peas Entirely edible bright green peas ideal for stir-frying, with consistent supply from Guatemala year-round and seasonal sourcing from Peru and Mexico.
• Sugar Snap Peas Cross between snow pea and tightly podded pea with thick walls, sweet, crisp, and entirely edible, sourced from Guatemala year-round.
• Blackberries Ripened and hand-picked blackberries from farms in Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States, high in antioxidants.
• Blueberries Carefully harvested blueberries from Chile, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, and the United States providing year-round availability.
• Baby Broccoli Hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli with small florets, long stalks, and few leaves, offering a sweet, earthy taste, available year-round from Guatemala.
• Baby Carrots Immature carrots hand-peeled with trimmed green tops, sweeter and more tender than full-grown carrots, imported from Guatemala year-round.
• Baby Corn Tender ear of corn harvested before full growth, hand-harvested from Guatemala year-round and eaten whole.
• Baby Patty Pan Squash Summer squash with saucer-like shape, green skin, and scalloped edges, most tender when immature with a mild, delicate flavor.
• Baby Sunburst Squash Yellow version of patty pan squash with bright color popular in summer months, grown in Guatemala and available year-round.
• Baby Green Zucchini Zucchini picked at immature stage with crisp, creamy flesh and small seed cavity; can be eaten raw, used as pasta substitute, or fried.
• Baby Green Oak Lettuce Loose leaf lettuce with light green, ruffled leaves and buttery texture with nutty, sweet flavor that rarely becomes bitter.
• Baby Green Romaine Lettuce Loose-leaf lettuce with lime green outer leaves and creamy yellow inner leaves, mild and refreshing with a crunchy texture.
• Baby Red Oak Lettuce Tender loose leaf baby lettuce with buttery texture and nutty, sweet flavor that adds color and texture to salads and sandwiches.
• Frisée Part of the chicory family, a narrow-leafed head vegetable prized as a specialty salad ingredient when the center is blanched.
• Lollo Rossa Red loose-leaf lettuce with crisp, hardy ruffled leaves and a bold, slightly bitter and nutty flavor.
• Belgian Endive Grown in complete darkness to prevent chlorophyll production, tender with delicate crunch and pleasant, bitter flavor, available year-round.
• Radicchio Leaf chicory originating in Italy with bittersweet, spicy taste, sourced year-round from the United States and Guatemala.
• Broccoli Versatile cruciferous vegetable packed with nutrients and rich in antioxidants, enjoyed raw or cooked.
• Brussels Sprouts Little cabbage-like vegetables with sweet, nutty flavor and powerful antioxidant content, available October through June from Guatemala and Mexico.
• Okra Okra (Ladies' Fingers / Gumbo), sourced year-round from Guatemala, Honduras, and the United States, suitable for frying, pickling, boiling, or sautéing.
• Cachucha Peppers Mild sweet peppers (ají dulce) ranging 1,000–5,000 SHU, used in Caribbean and Latin American cuisine including sofrito, imported year-round from Dominican Republic.
• Habanero Peppers Spicy pepper variety measuring 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units, available in green, red, and orange year-round from Dominican Republic and Mexico.
• Red Fresno Chili Peppers Cultivar named after Fresno, California, with fruitier, smokier taste than jalapeño and 2,500–10,000 SHU, available year-round with peak season late summer through fall.
• Scotch Bonnet Peppers Small lantern-shaped peppers ranging 80,000 to 350,000 SHU, key ingredient in Jamaican jerk recipes with a slightly sweeter flavor than habanero.
• Shishito Peppers Mild sweet peppers with subtle heat, popular at Japanese restaurants, available year-round with peak season early summer through fall.
• Thai Chili Peppers Small, thin peppers about 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units, popular in Asian cuisine, imported year-round in fresh red and green varieties.
• Baby Heirloom Tomatoes Heirloom tomatoes grown from heritage seeds in varied colors and flavors, sweet and delicious, grown in hydroponic greenhouses in Guatemala.
• Heirloom Tomatoes Tomatoes grown from seeds passed down over generations with higher sugar content and better tomato flavor than conventional varieties, grown in Guatemala and the United States.
• Yellow Beefsteak Tomatoes Bright yellow tomatoes with subtler flavor than red varieties and lower acidity, grown in the United States and Guatemala.
• Breadfruit Large bumpy-skinned tropical fruit with starchy flavor and texture similar to potato, popular for roasting, boiling, or steaming.
• Mingolo Mango Golden yellow mangoes with tropical, peachy aroma and smooth flesh with minimal fibers, originally cultivated in India over 5,000 years ago.
• Solo Papaya Smaller, sweeter papaya variety with soft, butter-like consistency and papain enzyme content, available year-round with peaks in early summer and fall.
• Passion Fruit Tropical fruit native to Brazil with aromatic, sweet-tart pulp and small edible seeds, sourced from Florida November through February.
• Pepino Melon Fruit of small evergreen shrub related to nightshade, with mild melon-pear-like taste and entirely edible, available year-round.
• Pomegranate Arils Convenient pack of ready-to-eat pomegranate seed pods sourced from Peru and India, high in vitamins C and K, fiber, potassium, and antioxidants.
• Star Fruit Carambola native to Southeast Asia, slightly sour with firm, juicy grape-like flesh; entire fruit including skin is edible, grown in the United States.
• Thai Guava Firmer-textured guava usually eaten unripe and raw, roughly grapefruit-sized with bumpy green skin; skin, seeds, and flesh all edible.
• Boniato Cuban or Caribbean sweet potato with purple-tan exterior and dry, white flesh, fluffier texture, and less sweet flavor than other sweet potatoes, popular in Caribbean cooking.
• Calabaza Hard squash native to tropical Americas (West Indian pumpkin), creamy flesh with sweet, nutty flavor, imported year-round.
• Chayote Squash Pear-shaped summer squash from Mexico and Central America with mild flavor and crunchy texture similar to cucumber or potato, available year-round.
• Ginger Root Popular spice used in drinks, teas, marinades, dressings, and sauces, available in conventional and organic varieties year-round.
• Malanga Coco Taro-like root vegetable native to Southeast Asia and Southern India with sweet, nutty flavor, popular in Caribbean and Polynesian cuisine, available year-round.
• Malanga Eddo Root vegetable native to China and Japan, grown in the Caribbean and Central/South America with potato-like texture and nutty flavor, must be cooked before eating, available year-round.
• Malanga White True malanga of the Araceae family; crunchy root vegetable resembling yam with nutty potato-like taste, popular in Cuban and Puerto Rican cuisine, available year-round.
• Tindora Small tropical fruit (ivy or scarlet gourd) used in Indian, Thai, and Filipino dishes with a flavor between zucchini and cucumber, crunchy when raw and softens when cooked.
• Turmeric Root Member of the ginger family native to Southeast Asia, with bright orange flesh and peppery flavor, used in Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine, available year-round in yellow, white, and organic varieties.
• White Ñame Root Root shaped like sweet potato with creamy, yellow flesh and nutty potato-like flavor, popular in Caribbean countries, imported year-round.
• Yuca Cassava root native to South America and the Caribbean, with mild sweet flavor and lighter texture than potato, imported year-round.
• Chinese Bitter Melon Gourd similar to cucumber grown in tropical climates, common in Asian and Indian cooking with bitter taste and believed medicinal qualities, available year-round.
• Chinese Eggplant Long (12–18 inches) lavender colored eggplant with fewer seeds, more tender with mild sweet flavor, used in stir-fries, roasted, grilled, or fried, available year-round.
• Chinese Okra Also called Angled Luffa, a tender fruit related to cucumber, squash, and melons, native to India with spongy zucchini-like flesh, imported year-round.
• Indian Eggplant Small and oval-shaped eggplant with thicker skin and stronger, sweeter flavor than western eggplant, used in vegetarian curry-based dishes, available year-round.
• Specialty Produce Import and Distribution Service End-to-end specialty produce import and B2B distribution service delivering a vertically integrated assortment of premium fruits and vegetables from owned farms and grower partnerships in Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the United States to retail grocers and foodservice distributors across North America, with cold-chain-controlled logistics through Miami and Los Angeles distribution centers.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the few vertically-integrated specialty produce companies in the US
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Packing Plant in La Vega, Dominican RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022In 2022, Crystal Valley partnered with a state-of-the-art packing plant in La Vega, Dominican Republic to expand their pepper, tropical, and Asian product line.
• Joco ProducecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Acquired in 2019 to expand tropical and ethnic fruits and vegetable offerings and further diversify product line. Joco Produce was a pioneer in fresh Asian, tropical, and specialty fruits and vegetables.
• Team ProducecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Acquired in 2017 to expand customer base and ensure year-round berry supply. Team Produce was a leading importer of fresh asparagus, berries, stone fruit, and other specialty items from Central and South America.
• Grower and Packing House in PerucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013In 2013, Crystal Valley became a majority partner with their grower and packing house in Peru to elevate asparagus quality and service. Peru serves as a key year-round asparagus source.
• Grower and Packing Plant in GuatemalacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008In 2008, Crystal Valley partnered with their longtime grower and packing plant in Guatemala, which has grown to become a key sourcing and production hub for their operations, including English peas, French beans, and baby vegetables.
• 3rd Party Distribution FacilitiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrystal Valley maintains relationships with 3rd party facilities in McAllen, TX, San Luis, AZ, and the Northeast for additional entry points and distribution capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wish Farms: Family-owned Florida-based grower, packer, and shipper of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Direct overlap with Crystal Valley's berry and import sourcing from Mexico, Guatemala, and the Americas.
• Taylor Farms: Salinas, CA-headquartered vertically integrated producer and processor of fresh salads, fresh-cut vegetables, and specialty produce for retail and foodservice. Highly comparable operating model: grower partnerships, owned processing, coast-to-coast distribution into retail and foodservice.
• Naturipe Farms: Grower-owned marketer of fresh berries, avocados, and specialty produce sourced from the Americas. Direct overlap with Crystal Valley on berry sourcing geography and specialty produce category into retail.
• Earthbound Farm: Largest grower, packer, and shipper of organic produce in North America (a Taylor Farms brand). Comparable organic and specialty produce distribution into retail grocers.
• Tanimura & Antle: Multi-generational, family-owned specialty produce grower-shipper based in California's Salinas Valley; produces lettuces, baby vegetables, and specialty items including Asian and ethnic vegetables — direct product-category overlap.
• Driscoll's: Leading U.S. marketer of fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries). Crystal Valley's berry line (blackberries, blueberries) overlaps directly in both product and grower-network sourcing from Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, Peru, and Argentina.

Broad incumbents

• Mission Produce: Public, vertically integrated avocado grower-distributor with global sourcing and U.S. distribution. Comparable multi-origin, vertically integrated specialty produce distribution model, though focused on a single category.
• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Public, vertically integrated global producer, distributor, and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables including tropical fruits, tomatoes, and specialty items. Comparable large-scale multi-origin produce distribution into North American retail and foodservice.
• Grimmway Farms: Family-owned, vertically integrated carrot and organic produce grower headquartered in Bakersfield, CA. Comparable vertically integrated specialty produce model serving national grocery and foodservice customers.
• Bonduel / Bonduelle: Global fresh and processed vegetable producer headquartered in France; significant North American fresh-cut and specialty vegetable operations serving retail and foodservice. Comparable vertically integrated fresh vegetable distribution at global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/crystalvalleyfoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crystal-valley-foods
• Instagraminstagram.com/crystalvalleyfoods

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Crystal Valley Foods