The Horton Fruit Company
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1946
- HeadquartersLouisville, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
The Horton Fruit Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Horton Fruit Company
- Legal name
- The Horton Fruit Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://hortonfruit.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1946
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Horton Fruit Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Produce Distribution
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAD), Dried Fruit & Fruit Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAL)
Keywords
Where The Horton Fruit Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Louisville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Horton Fruit Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Produce Distribution: Wholesale distribution of fruits and vegetables including avocados, bananas, mangoes, onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and many others to grocery store chains, restaurants, and food service operations throughout the country.
- Value-Added Repacking Services: Repacking bulk produce to ready-to-buy products with customized packaging and private labeling services for retail and food service companies.
- Ripening Services: Ripening services for avocados, bananas, tomatoes, mangoes, and other commodities performed according to each customer's specifications.
- Candy and Caramel Apples: Production of candy and caramel apples from late summer through fall using a special family recipe, packed under Peak Brand and private label for retail and foodservice companies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
The Horton Fruit Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Horton Fruit Company is a wholesale producer and distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables serving grocery store chains, restaurants, and food service operations throughout the continental United States. Its core offering combines sourcing and growing (including 600+ acres through the Grow Farms subsidiary), ripening in dedicated rooms, value-added repacking with private labeling, and nationwide refrigerated distribution through its own fleet and the First Call Logistics subsidiary.
Product overview
The Horton Fruit Company is a family-owned produce company founded in 1946 offering virtually all aspects of the fruit and vegetables business through a portfolio of products and services. Their core product offerings include Fruits (encompassing Orchard Fruits like Apples, Lemons, Oranges; Tropical Fruits like Ataúlfo Mangoes, Avocados, Bananas, and Round Tommy Atkins Mangoes; and Culinary Fruits including Peppers, Squash, and Tomatoes), Vegetables (including Potatoes, Onions, Rutabagas, and Turnips), Organic Produce (certified organic fruits and vegetables), and Seasonal Products (Candy Apples, Hatch Chile Peppers, Brussel Sprouts). The company complements these product lines with integrated service offerings including Distribution (refrigerated fleet and First Call Logistics), Growing Operations (via Grow Farms subsidiary across 600+ acres), Repacking Services (converting bulk to ready-to-buy products with private labeling), Ripening Services (state-of-the-art rooms for avocados, bananas, tomatoes, and mangoes), and Food Safety Services (HACCP and BRC standards). Their sub-brands include Peak Brand for their own products and Stop and Go Peppers for premium pepper packaging. The company operates multi-temp packing facilities in Louisville, Kentucky and Irving, Texas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Fruits
Quantifiable outcome
- Ripening capabilities for 365-day avocado supply
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Horton Fruit Company
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Horton Fruit Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Horton Fruit Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- First Call LogisticscoreSubsidiary logistics company (Co-CEOs Chris Bland and Kyle Bland) operating throughout North America with 24/7 capability to handle loads from any point. Located at 4715 Pinewood Road with phone 317.708.7800. Provides transportation services for Horton Fruit's produce distribution.
- Grow FarmscoreGrower and distributor of high quality, regionally grown fruit and vegetables. Managed by Brian Knott at 4701 Jennings Lane. Helps family farms diversify and increase operations while leveraging Horton's distribution network. Initial producing acreage in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
- Los CompadresminorPartner business located at 4601 Jennings Lane, managed by Yunior Martinez. Part of the Horton Fruit family of companies.
- Louisville Produce TerminalminorProduce terminal facility at 4601 Jennings Lane, part of the local produce distribution ecosystem supporting Horton Fruit operations.
- Avocados from MexicominorIndustry organization that Horton Fruit works with to promote different ways to merchandise avocados and educate consumers about avocado benefits.
- California Avocado CommissionminorIndustry organization that Horton Fruit collaborates with to promote different ways to merchandise avocados and educate consumers about avocado benefits.
- PMA Gold CircleminorProduce Marketing Association Gold Circle membership for industry networking and best practices.
- International Fresh Produce AssociationminorIFPA membership for industry advocacy, networking, and standards development.
- Southeast Produce CouncilminorRegional industry association for produce companies in the southeastern United States.
- Texas International Produce AssociationminorState-level industry association for produce companies operating in Texas.
- Blue Book TradingminorCredit reporting and trade association for the produce industry providing credit services and networking.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Horton Fruit Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FreshPoint: Sysco's specialty produce distribution subsidiary; directly competes with Horton in distributing fresh fruits and vegetables to foodservice customers across the US with overlapping ripening, repacking, and value-added capabilities.
- Keany Produce: Mid-size regional fresh produce distributor serving grocery, restaurant, and foodservice customers in the Mid-Atlantic; highly comparable to Horton in employee scale, customer mix, value-added repacking, and private-label offering.
- ProAct: Specialty produce distributor serving foodservice operators nationwide; overlaps directly with Horton's foodservice distribution motion, ripening, and value-added repacking services.
- Mission Produce: Largest avocado grower-distributor globally; comparable to Horton's specialized focus on ripened avocados delivered to retailers and foodservice customers, with similar ripening rooms and distribution infrastructure.
- Tanimura & Antle: Vertically integrated grower-distributor of fresh vegetables and leafy greens with farming operations plus retail and foodservice distribution; mirrors Horton's Grow Farms-plus-distribution operating model across multiple produce categories.
- Driscoll's: Specialty berry grower-distributor with consumer brand recognition and a grower-network operating model; comparable to Horton's vertically integrated produce grower-distributor approach with multi-SKU distribution and ripening capability.
- Taylor Farms: Leading value-added fresh produce processor for pre-cut salads, vegetables, and meal kits serving retail and foodservice; comparable to Horton for its premium value-added processing, repacking, and private-label capabilities in fresh produce.
Broad incumbents
- Sysco Corporation: World's largest broadline foodservice distributor; competes with Horton in fresh produce through its FreshPoint subsidiary and for grocery and foodservice accounts nationally across a much broader portfolio.
- US Foods: Major broadline foodservice distributor with substantial fresh produce capabilities; competes with Horton for grocery, restaurant, and foodservice customers across the continental US as part of a much wider product portfolio.
- C.H. Robinson: Major third-party logistics provider with a long-standing fresh produce sourcing and distribution franchise (including the former Robinson Fresh arm); comparable to Horton for integrated produce logistics and multi-category reach, at substantially larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Horton Fruit Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe Horton Fruit Company compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Horton Fruit Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Horton Fruit Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
The Horton Fruit Company subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
The Horton Fruit Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Horton Fruit Company 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 The Horton Fruit Company
What does The Horton Fruit Company do?
The Horton Fruit Company is a wholesale producer and distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables serving grocery store chains, restaurants, and food service operations throughout the continental United States. Its core offering combines sourcing and growing (including 600+ acres through the Grow Farms subsidiary), ripening in dedicated rooms, value-added repacking with private labeling, and nationwide refrigerated distribution through its own fleet and the First Call Logistics subsidiary.
Is The Horton Fruit Company a public or private company?
The Horton Fruit Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Horton Fruit Company founded?
The Horton Fruit Company was founded in 1946. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Horton Fruit Company based?
The Horton Fruit Company is headquartered in Louisville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Horton Fruit Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Produce Distribution is the primary driver. The others are value-Added Repacking Services, ripening Services and candy and Caramel Apples.
Who are The Horton Fruit Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FreshPoint, Keany Produce, ProAct, Mission Produce, Tanimura & Antle, Driscoll's and Taylor Farms. Broad incumbents are Sysco Corporation, US Foods and C.H. Robinson.
Does The Horton Fruit Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Horton Fruit Company.
What industry is The Horton Fruit Company in?
The Horton Fruit Company's product category is Wholesale Produce Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIACAA, Fresh Fruit Wholesale, with a secondary code of AFAOAGAD, Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities. Its SIC code is 5140.