Harvest Food Group

What Harvest Food Group does

Harvest Food Group is a privately held, family-founded U.S. frozen food company established in 1999, headquartered in Naperville, Illinois with a 184,000 sq ft SQF Level 3- and USDA-inspected manufacturing and distribution facility in East Chicago, Indiana. The company specializes in Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) ingredients — fruits, vegetables, legumes, herbs, grains, seeds, and proteins — sourced globally and processed to GFSI standards, with packaging formats spanning 20 lb cases through 1,300–1,700 lb bulk totes and retail-ready flexible packaging.

The business operates across four distinct revenue motions: (1) IQF ingredient supply to food manufacturers, (2) turnkey co-manufacturing services for branded food companies, (3) private label manufacturing for grocery retailers and foodservice operators, and (4) direct foodservice distribution. A consumer-facing sub-brand, Path of Life, extends the model into branded frozen meals and sides. Manufacturing capacity is anchored by seven vertical form fill and seal lines, one horizontal form fill line, a bulk line, a bowl line, and two cup lines, with an in-house culinary R&D team supporting custom product development.

Harvest Food Group goes to market via a quote-based enterprise B2B sales motion, with no public pricing, supported by a B2B website, LinkedIn presence, trade show activity (e.g., AFFI), and a Request Quote lead capture flow. The company holds SQF Level 3, GFSI, USDA, Oregon Tilth organic, Kosher, Gluten-Free, and Non-GMO Project Verified certifications, positioning it as an approved supplier for institutional foodservice, school nutrition, and major retail private label programs. In 2025, the company opened a new state-of-the-art facility, expanded the Path of Life brand, and installed a new CEO (Amit Pandhi) and Director of Sales (Blake Zimmerman), indicating a deliberate capacity and commercial step-up.

Name

Harvest Food Group

Legal name

Harvest Food Group LLC

Website

https://harvestfoodgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harvest Food Group is a privately held, family-founded U.S. frozen food company (founded 1999) that produces IQF fruits, vegetables, legumes, herbs, grains, and proteins, and offers co-manufacturing, private label, foodservice, and the Path of Life consumer brand from its SQF Level 3–certified East Chicago facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Frozen Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing (311411), Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing (311412), Frozen Food Manufacturing (31141)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Fruit & Vegetable Processing (IQF, Frozen Blends) (AFAKAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Frozen prepared meals & entrées manufacturing (AFAKAHAA), Frozen Prepared Foods & Meals Manufacturing (AFAKACAH), Frozen Foods Distribution (CRAOABAI)

Keywords

• IQF frozen ingredients
• Frozen food manufacturing
• Private label foods
• Co-manufacturing services
• Foodservice frozen supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Naperville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IQF Ingredients: Sale of Individually Quick Frozen ingredients including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, and herbs. Products sold in various pack sizes (20-50 lb cases, bulk totes) with pricing based on quote requests.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: Turnkey private label services for retail and foodservice customers, producing custom frozen products with flexible packaging options from vegetables and blends to entrees and breakfast bowls.
3. Co-Manufacturing: Contract manufacturing services for frozen food production offering flexible capacity, certified facilities, and national reach from concept to shelf.
4. Foodservice Products: Chef-inspired, ready-to-use frozen products designed for foodservice operators, streamlining kitchen operations with prepared and precisely packaged solutions.
5. Branded Products (Path of Life): Consumer-facing branded products under the Path of Life brand offering wholesome frozen meals and sides made with high-quality ingredients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Harvest Food Group produces and supplies Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, herbs, and proteins from its 184,000 sq ft SQF Level 3 certified manufacturing facility in East Chicago, Indiana. The company also provides co-manufacturing, private label, and foodservice solutions, marketing a consumer-facing brand called Path of Life for branded frozen meals and sides.

Product overview

Harvest Food Group is a frozen food company offering a comprehensive portfolio of IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) ingredients and finished products. The core product lines include Vegetables (70+ products), Fruits, Legumes, Herbs, Grains & Seeds, and Proteins – all processed to GFSI standards. The company operates across multiple business models: as an IQF ingredients supplier, through co-manufacturing services, private label partnerships, and foodservice solutions. Their proprietary consumer brand, Path of Life, offers branded frozen meals and sides. Manufacturing capabilities include seven vertical form fill and seal lines, one horizontal form fill line, one bulk line, one state-of-the-art bowl line, and two top-tier cup lines. The company serves retail, foodservice, and club channels with flexible packaging options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Path of Life: Path of Life offers wholesome frozen meals and sides made with high-quality ingredients – ready in minutes, crafted for modern living.

Products and services

• IQF Vegetables One of the industry's most extensive inventories of IQF vegetables, from artichokes to zucchini, available in-stock and ready to ship in various cuts and sizes for foodservice, retail, and ingredient customers.
• IQF Fruits Frozen fruit, puree or concentrate available year-round, ranging from apples to watermelons, for foodservice, retail, and ingredient customers.
• IQF Legumes Cooked legumes including green garbanzos and black beans, prepared with convenience and consistency in mind for foodservice and ingredient customers.
• IQF Herbs IQF herbs including basil, cilantro, and parsley, carefully cut and made for ease of use in a variety of applications.
• IQF Grains & Seeds Whole seeds and grains including barley, rice, couscous, quinoa, sorghum, and wheatberry, cooked to perfection and individually quick frozen.
• IQF Proteins Premium IQF proteins frozen at peak freshness to ensure year-round consistency and quality.
• Path of Life (Consumer Brand) Wholesome frozen meals and sides made with high-quality ingredients, ready in minutes, crafted for modern living, sold under Harvest Food Group's proprietary Path of Life brand.
• Co-Manufacturing Services Scalable, efficient co-manufacturing solutions from concept to shelf, backed by strict quality and food safety standards, offering flexible capacity, certified facilities, and national reach for food manufacturer partners.
• Private Label Services Turnkey private label services for vegetables, blends, entrees, and breakfast bowls, bringing product ideas to life with speed, flexibility, and custom packaging options for retail and foodservice customers.
• Foodservice Solutions Chef-inspired, ready-to-use products designed to streamline kitchen operations and meet diverse menu needs, expertly prepared and precisely packaged for foodservice operators in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, and other institutions.
• Flexible Packaging Solutions Flexible packaging options for retail, foodservice, and club, tailored to specific format needs across IQF ingredient, private label, and foodservice product lines.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ajinomoto Foods North America: Major frozen meal and ethnic frozen food manufacturer with strong private label and co-manufacturing business serving retail and foodservice. Directly comparable to HFG's prepared frozen meals, bowls, and private label operations.
• Twin City Foods: Frozen fruit, vegetable, and IQF ingredient processor with private label capabilities serving foodservice and industrial customers. Comparable scale and product overlap with HFG's IQF ingredient business.
• Stahlbush Island Farms: SQF-certified grower and producer of IQF fruits and vegetables for retail, foodservice, and ingredient customers. Most directly comparable peer to HFG's IQF ingredient supply business model.
• Bellisio Foods: Frozen meal manufacturer (Michelina's, Boston Market) with strong private label and co-manufacturing capabilities for retail and foodservice. Directly comparable to HFG's prepared frozen meal and private label operations.
• Hanover Foods: Vertically integrated producer of canned, frozen, and refrigerated foods with private label capabilities. Comparable in the frozen fruit, vegetable, and prepared foods segments where HFG operates.
• Overhill Farms: Frozen prepared foods contract and private label manufacturer serving retail and foodservice customers. Closely comparable to HFG's co-manufacturing and private label business model and customer segments.
• Windsor Quality Holdings: Private label and co-manufacturing frozen foods producer with retail and foodservice focus. Comparable to HFG in business model, customer base, and product mix spanning meals, bowls, and side dishes.

Broad incumbents

• Schwan's Company: Large-scale frozen food manufacturer (Red Baron, Tony's, Edwards) with national distribution, branded and private label capabilities, and co-manufacturing services — a broader incumbent competing with HFG in frozen prepared meals and ingredients.
• Conagra Brands: Major packaged food company owning Birds Eye, Healthy Choice, and Marie Callender's frozen brands. Competes with HFG in IQF vegetables, frozen meals, and private label supply at grocery retail and foodservice.
• Lamb Weston Holdings: Largest North American frozen potato supplier and broader frozen food manufacturer with national scale, deep retail relationships, and co-manufacturing capability — comparable as a large-scale frozen food operator but focused more on potatoes than HFG's fruit/vegetable/grain breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HarvestFoodGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/harvestfoodgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harvest-food-group-inc

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Harvest Food Group