A.D. Makepeace

What A.D. Makepeace does

A.D. Makepeace Company is a privately held, dual-sector enterprise founded in 1854 and headquartered in Wareham, Massachusetts. It operates two core divisions: (1) cranberry agriculture, where it is self-described as North America's largest cranberry grower and a member of the Ocean Spray cooperative, cultivating bogs across southeastern Massachusetts using a mix of traditional and modern methods including buzz pollination via Koppert bumblebees, ice and barge sanding, and manual vine pruning; and (2) environmentally responsible real estate development, with active residential and mixed-use projects including the Redbrook master-planned community in Plymouth, the Rosebrook and 35 Rosebrook developments in Wareham, and Tihonet Village.

The company monetizes cranberry production through wholesale supply to the Ocean Spray cooperative, supplemented by a small seasonal direct-to-consumer retail channel (Makepeace Farms) selling cranberry-themed gifts, baked goods, soups, sandwiches, and a cranberry memorabilia collection called Abel's Place. Real estate revenue flows through direct sales of homes and commercial space in its developments, with venue rentals at the Rosebrook Event Center. Two wholly-owned subsidiaries — ADM Development Services LLC (real estate development services) and Read Custom Soils (custom soils) — support adjacent operations.

Customer segments are mixed: a single dominant enterprise counterparty (Ocean Spray) for cranberry volume, individual home buyers and commercial tenants for real estate, and walk-in consumers for retail and events. The company employs 51-100 staff, maintains an active community engagement program (blood drives, concerts, charity runs, fishing derbies), and has no public ticker or disclosed financials. Distribution is regional, concentrated in southeastern Massachusetts (Wareham, Plymouth, Carver), with no indicated global footprint.

Name

A.D. Makepeace

Legal name

A.D. Makepeace Company

Website

https://admakepeace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1854

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

A.D. Makepeace Company is a 172-year-old, privately held Wareham, Massachusetts firm operating as North America's largest cranberry grower (Ocean Spray cooperative member) and an environmentally responsible real estate developer of residential and mixed-use communities in southeastern Massachusetts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cranberry Agriculture and Real Estate Development

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Cranberry farming operations
• Real estate development
• Agricultural cooperative membership
• Retail farm store
• Land stewardship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wareham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cranberry Farming and Sales: Growing and selling cranberries as a member of Ocean Spray cooperative - the company is North America's largest cranberry grower
2. Real Estate Development: Environmentally responsible real estate development including residential communities (Redbrook in Plymouth, Rosebrook in Wareham) and mixed-use properties (Tihonet Village)
3. Retail Sales: Direct retail through Makepeace Farms offering soups, sandwiches, baked goods, and cranberry-themed gifts. Open seasonally Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

A.D. Makepeace Company is a dual-operation enterprise founded in 1854, headquartered in Wareham, Massachusetts, that grows and sells cranberries as North America's largest cranberry grower (operating as a member of the Ocean Spray cooperative) and develops environmentally responsible real estate in southeastern Massachusetts, including residential communities (Redbrook, Rosebrook) and mixed-use properties (Tihonet Village, 35 Rosebrook). The company also runs Makepeace Farms, a seasonal retail storefront offering cranberry-themed gifts, baked goods, soups, and sandwiches, and hosts community events, tours, and venue rentals.

Product overview

A.D. Makepeace Company is a dual-operation enterprise combining cranberry agriculture with real estate development. The company operates North America's largest cranberry growing operation (as an Ocean Spray member) alongside environmentally responsible real estate development projects in southeastern Massachusetts. The product portfolio centers on two core divisions: cranberry growing and real estate development. Key products and services include: Cranberry Growing Operations (core agricultural product), Makepeace Farms retail store for cranberry-themed goods, multiple real estate developments (Redbrook community, 35 Rosebrook commercial property, Tihonet Village), Rosebrook Event Center for venue rentals, and a robust community events program including concerts, charity runs, fishing derbies, and agricultural festivals. The company also supports food security through its partnership with Frogfoot Farm, generating over 12,331 pounds of produce annually for the Marion Institute's Neighbors Feeding Neighbors program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Redbrook: A residential community development located in Plymouth, MA, featuring the Redbrook Earth Day event and beer garden activities.
• Rosebrook
• Makepeace Farms

Products and services

• Cranberry Growing Operations Large-scale cranberry cultivation in southeastern Massachusetts bogs using sustainable agricultural practices including buzz pollination, ice sanding, barge sanding, and vine pruning; supplies cranberries to the Ocean Spray cooperative.
• Real Estate Development
• Makepeace Farms Retail Store Seasonal cranberry-themed retail store at Tihonet Village offering soups, sandwiches, home-baked goods, cranberry-themed gifts, and Abel's Place cranberry memorabilia collection, open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Redbrook Residential Community Master-planned residential community located at 1 Greenside Way North, Plymouth, MA 02360, featuring community amenities and events such as Redbrook Earth Day.
• 35 Rosebrook Commercial Property Commercial and retail property at 50 Rosebrook Place, Wareham, MA 02571, hosting restaurants including 99 Restaurants, Saga Steakhouse, and Five Guys.
• Rosebrook Event Center Event venue at 50 Rosebrook Place in Wareham, MA, hosting American Red Cross blood drives, corporate events, and community gatherings.
• Events, Tours and Functions Community engagement activities including concerts, festivals, charity runs, fishing derbies, and educational tours of cranberry bogs held across ADM properties in southeastern Massachusetts.
• Read Custom Soils Wholly-owned subsidiary of A.D. Makepeace Company that provides custom soils services to support cranberry bogs and other agricultural operations.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marion Institute - Frogfoot FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024Partnership with Marion Institute's Frogfoot Farm initiative (Neighbors Feeding Neighbors program). A.D. Makepeace hosts fundraising events like Boogie at the Bog and has contributed to food insecurity efforts. The partnership generated over 12,331 pounds (116,744 servings) of produce in one year.
• Ocean SpraycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA.D. Makepeace is a proud member of Ocean Spray, the agricultural cooperative known for cranberry products. As North America's largest cranberry grower, the company supplies cranberries to the cooperative for processing and distribution under the Ocean Spray brand.
• Wankinquoah Rod and Gun ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosts the annual Tihonet Pond Fishing Derby, a community event that brings together anglers of all ages. A.D. Makepeace sponsors the event, and proceeds benefit the club's Junior Associate program.
• American Red CrossminorGTM or Marketing PartnerA.D. Makepeace hosts regular blood drives at Rosebrook Event Center. The company has continued hosting monthly blood drives since 2025, with 2025 drives resulting in significant blood donations according to the American Red Cross.
• Second Wind BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlymouth-based craft brewery that partners with A.D. Makepeace for events at Redbrook, including beer garden events featuring craft beer, food trucks, and community gatherings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Mariani Packing Company: Mariani is a long-established U.S. dried-fruit manufacturer whose product line includes sweetened dried cranberries. It is comparable because it competes in the same value-added cranberry category, sells into similar grocery and ingredient channels, and serves as a benchmark for branded dried-fruit economics.
• Decas Cranberry Products: Decas is a vertically integrated cranberry processor also based in Wareham, MA — the same town as A.D. Makepeace. It sources Massachusetts cranberries and produces sweetened dried cranberries, concentrate, and ingredients for foodservice and ingredient customers, making it a close regional and product peer.
• Ocean Spray Cranberries: A.D. Makepeace is a member-grower of the Ocean Spray cooperative, which pools, processes, and markets cranberry and grapefruit products globally. Ocean Spray is the most directly comparable peer because it sets the pricing, branding, and offtake dynamics that govern ADM's cranberry business.
• Habelman Bros. Company: Habelman Bros. is one of the largest independent fresh cranberry growers in the U.S., based in Wisconsin. It sells fresh cranberries, juice, and dried cranberries directly to retail and foodservice, providing a useful comparison point on grower economics, scale, and direct-to-consumer cranberry retailing.
• Fruit d'Or: Fruit d'Or is a Quebec-based cranberry and wild blueberry grower-processor supplying organic and conventional frozen fruit, juice concentrate, and dried fruit to global ingredient customers. It is a comparable vertically-integrated cranberry business serving similar ingredient and foodservice channels.
• Clement Pappas & Co. Clement Pappas is a producer of cranberry juices, sauces, and fruit-based beverages, including seasonal cranberry sauces and private-label offerings. It is a comparable peer in the value-added cranberry beverage and sauce market that ultimately purchases cranberry supply from growers and cooperatives.
• Northland Cranberries: Northland was historically one of North America's largest independent cranberry growers and processors, with operations in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Quebec. Although now part of the Ocean Spray cooperative, it remains a useful historical peer for benchmarking cranberry grower economics at ADM's scale.
• Cliffstar Corporation: Cliffstar was a major private-label juice and beverage manufacturer with a significant cranberry juice platform, supplying cranberry-based drinks and concentrates to retail customers. It is comparable to ADM as a downstream cranberry ingredient buyer and value-added cranberry beverage producer.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association: The Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association represents cranberry growers in Wisconsin, the largest cranberry-producing state. While it operates in a different geography than A.D. Makepeace's Massachusetts bogs, it is comparable as a regional industry body governing cranberry supply dynamics and policy that affect ADM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ADMakepeace
• Instagraminstagram.com/admakepeace
• Xx.com/makepeacead

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 A.D. Makepeace