Caruso Produce
Caruso Produce is a family-owned wholesale produce distributor founded in 1944, sourcing conventional, organic, and specialty fresh produce from local and multinational growers and distributing it to retail, food service, and wholesale customers across the Pacific Northwest from three warehouse facilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1944
- HeadquartersCanby, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Caruso Produce does
Caruso Produce, Inc. is a family-owned wholesale produce distributor founded in 1944 by Sam, Tony, and Joe Caruso, currently operating across the Pacific Northwest under third-generation ownership. The company sources conventional, organic, and specialty fresh produce from a mix of local farms (e.g., Siri & Sons Farm) and multinational growers (Del Monte, Dole, Fresh Express, Fruit World), and distributes it through three dedicated channels — retail/grocery, food service/hospitality (restaurants and fine dining), and wholesale operators/independent grocers — plus a community fundraising program that resells fixed-price produce cartons through schools and organizations.
Operations run from three warehouse/distribution facilities: a 100,000 sqft state-of-the-art refrigerated headquarters in Canby, OR (built 2021, with modern ripening rooms); High Desert Produce in Redmond, OR (acquired 2015, serving Central Oregon); and Washington Produce in Tukwila, WA (acquired 2018, focused on Seattle Metro foodservice). Underlying technology is operational rather than digital in nature: cold-chain warehousing, ripening infrastructure, an in-house electronic invoicing and payment processing system, and a B2B online product catalog and order placement platform hosted on the third-party CutandDry e-commerce system. Customer-facing brand content is delivered through a "By The Farm" sub-brand featuring recipes and vegan produce options, supported by Instagram and Facebook channels.
The business model is transaction-based: produce is bought from growers and resold to B2B customers via direct sales teams with quote-based pricing, supported by ad revenue-like community engagement through fixed-priced fundraising bundles. There are no publicly disclosed pricing tiers and no public revenue figures; the company employs between 51 and 100 people and is privately held with no parent company and no institutional investment disclosed.
Caruso Produce firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Caruso Produce
- Legal name
- Caruso Produce, Inc.
- Website
- https://carusoproduce.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1944
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Caruso Produce is a family-owned wholesale produce distributor founded in 1944, sourcing conventional, organic, and specialty fresh produce from local and multinational growers and distributing it to retail, food service, and wholesale customers across the Pacific Northwest from three warehouse facilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Caruso Produce industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Produce Distribution
- NAICS
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fresh Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIAJAA), Fresh Produce Distribution (CRAOABAB)
Keywords
Where Caruso Produce is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Canby
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Caruso Produce business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Fresh Produce Distribution: Wholesale distribution of conventional, organic, and specialty fresh produce to retail, wholesale, and food service customers across the Pacific Northwest
- Fundraising Programs: Operates fundraising programs where schools, teams, and organizations sell produce (like Cosmic Crisp apples) with Caruso Produce supplying product
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Caruso Produce product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Caruso Produce is a wholesale distributor of conventional, organic, and specialty fresh fruits and vegetables, serving retail grocery stores, food service operators, and wholesale buyers across the Pacific Northwest from three warehouse locations. The company operates a 100,000 sqft fully refrigerated headquarters facility in Canby, OR with ultra-modern ripening rooms, and also runs a fundraising program for schools and community organizations. Distribution is supported by a B2B online ordering platform (CutandDry), an electronic invoicing and payment processing system, and an owned fleet for direct store delivery.
Product overview
Caruso Produce operates as a produce distribution company offering a unified portfolio of services including retail, wholesale, and foodservice distribution across the Pacific Northwest. The core offerings include a full-service retail program, wholesale distribution of conventional, organic, and specialty produce, and dedicated foodservice operations through subsidiary facilities. The By The Farm sub-brand provides recipe content and vegan produce options. The company also offers a fundraising program for schools and organizations, and maintains an online ordering platform via CutandDry. Caruso Produce, High Desert Produce (acquired 2015), and Washington Produce (acquired 2018) operate under a unified umbrella with a central headquarters in Canby, OR.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- By The Farm: A line of recipes featuring vegan options, part of the company's direct-to-consumer brand offering.
- High Desert Produce
- Washington Produce
Products and services
- Retail Program
- Wholesale Distribution Wholesale distribution of conventional, organic, and specialty fresh produce to independent grocers and wholesale operators across the Pacific Northwest.
- Food Service Distribution Specialized foodservice distribution serving restaurants, fine dining establishments, and hospitality businesses, supported by dedicated sales directors and tailored facilities (High Desert Produce in Central Oregon, Washington Produce in Seattle Metro).
- Fundraising Program Fundraising program that allows schools, sports teams, and community organizations to raise money by selling fresh produce (e.g., Cosmic Crisp apple cartons) supplied by Caruso Produce, with marketing materials and operational support provided.
- Online Ordering & Product Catalog B2B online ordering platform powered by CutandDry that allows customers to browse the product catalog and place produce orders electronically, paired with an electronic invoicing and payment processing system.
Companies that use Caruso Produce
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Caruso Produce technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Caruso Produce partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Del MonteminorProduct vendor supplying produce brands to Caruso Produce distribution network
- DoleminorProduct vendor supplying produce brands to Caruso Produce distribution network
- Fruit WorldminorProduct vendor supplying produce brands to Caruso Produce distribution network
- Fresh ExpressminorProduct vendor supplying produce brands to Caruso Produce distribution network
- Siri & Sons FarmminorLocal farm partner supplying produce to Caruso Produce distribution network
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Caruso Produce competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Imperial Dade: Large foodservice and retail distributor with significant produce offerings across the U.S. Comparable in customer base (foodservice and retail) and broad-line distribution model, though significantly larger and geographically broader than Caruso.
- C.H. Robinson: Major third-party logistics and produce sourcing company that distributes fresh produce to retail, foodservice, and wholesale customers across North America. Competes with regional distributors like Caruso for supply-chain and produce distribution business.
- Taylor Farms: Large national producer and processor of fresh produce and ready-to-eat salads, supplying retail and foodservice customers. Comparable as a major produce supplier/distributor serving overlapping customer channels, though Taylor Farms is vertically integrated into production.
- KeHE Distributors: National distributor of fresh, natural, organic, and specialty products to retail and foodservice customers. Comparable as a specialty/grocery distributor serving similar customer types, with substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- FreshPoint: One of the largest specialty fresh produce distributors in North America, a subsidiary of Sysco. Operates regional distribution centers across the U.S. and competes with Caruso in the foodservice produce segment with significantly greater scale and national account access.
- Pro*Act: National network of locally-operated produce distributors serving foodservice customers across the U.S. A relevant comparable given Caruso's foodservice segment, though Pro*Act is a coordinated network with broader geographic coverage than Caruso.
Direct peers
- Charlie's Produce: Seattle-based fresh produce wholesaler and distributor serving the Pacific Northwest with retail, foodservice, and wholesale customers. Direct regional competitor with comparable product mix (conventional, organic, specialty produce) and overlapping Oregon/Washington geography.
- Get Fresh Produce: Regional fresh produce distributor serving foodservice and retail customers in the Midwest. Comparable business model (regional produce distribution with retail and foodservice focus), though it operates in a different geography than Caruso's Pacific Northwest footprint.
- Shamrock Foods Company: Family-owned foodservice distributor with a strong produce and broad-line offering concentrated in the western U.S. Comparable in business model (family-owned, regional foodservice focus with produce specialization) and competitive overlap with Caruso in western markets.
- Coastal Sunbelt Produce: Mid-Atlantic and East Coast produce distributor serving foodservice and retail customers. Comparable as a regional produce wholesaler with a similar foodservice/retail split, though operating in a different geography than Caruso.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Caruso Produce social profiles
Digital presenceCaruso Produce financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Caruso Produce leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Caruso Produce subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Caruso Produce funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Caruso Produce M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Caruso Produce
What does Caruso Produce do?
Caruso Produce is a wholesale distributor of conventional, organic, and specialty fresh fruits and vegetables, serving retail grocery stores, food service operators, and wholesale buyers across the Pacific Northwest from three warehouse locations. The company operates a 100,000 sqft fully refrigerated headquarters facility in Canby, OR with ultra-modern ripening rooms, and also runs a fundraising program for schools and community organizations. Distribution is supported by a B2B online ordering platform (CutandDry), an electronic invoicing and payment processing system, and an owned fleet for direct store delivery.
Is Caruso Produce a public or private company?
Caruso Produce is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Caruso Produce founded?
Caruso Produce was founded in 1944. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Caruso Produce based?
Caruso Produce is headquartered in Canby, United States, in the North America region.
How does Caruso Produce make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fresh Produce Distribution is the primary driver. The others are fundraising Programs.
Who are Caruso Produce's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Imperial Dade, C.H. Robinson, Taylor Farms, KeHE Distributors, FreshPoint and Pro*Act. Direct peers are Charlie's Produce, Get Fresh Produce, Shamrock Foods Company and Coastal Sunbelt Produce.
Does Caruso Produce have an API?
No public API is recorded for Caruso Produce.
What industry is Caruso Produce in?
Caruso Produce's product category is Wholesale Produce Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIABAE, Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables), with a secondary code of AFAIAJAA, Fresh Organic Produce Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 424480 and its SIC code is 5140.