Onions 52
Onions 52 is a privately held, vertically integrated grower-shipper of yellow, red, white, sweet, organic, and proprietary tearless onions, serving retail grocery and foodservice customers across the United States with year-round supply from multiple growing regions and a new East Coast facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersSyracuse, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Onions 52 does
Onions 52 is a privately held, vertically integrated grower-shipper of fresh onions founded in 1977 in Syracuse, Utah, originally as Utah Onions and rebranded in 2023 to reflect its national footprint. The company grows, packs, and ships yellow, red, white, certified sweet, USDA-organic, and proprietary tearless (Smileys®) onions year-round through grower partnerships and owned operations across Washington, Oregon, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, Idaho, and a new East Coast facility in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its product portfolio includes the Smileys® tearless sweet brand (three decades of agronomic development in Washington) and the Sunions® organic line, supported by packaging tiers from 2lb consumer bags to 2000lb totes and private-label services for trade partners.
The company serves retail grocery and foodservice operators as its two primary horizontal customer segments via an enterprise field-sales motion, regional offices in key growing areas, and participation in industry tradeshows (notably the Southeast Produce Council's Southern Innovations). Revenue is generated through wholesale onion sales under quote-based pricing, with packaging and private-label services as additional value layers. Multi-decade food-safety credentials - AIB-International GMP SUPERIOR rating each year since 2002, Primus Auditing Operations certification, USDA Organic, and on-track IPM certification across all farms by end of 2025 - underpin retailer onboarding. The company remains family-owned with no disclosed institutional investment, no parent or subsidiaries, and no public ticker.
Onions 52 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Onions 52
- Legal name
- Onions 52, Inc.
- Website
- https://onions52.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Onions 52 is a privately held, vertically integrated grower-shipper of yellow, red, white, sweet, organic, and proprietary tearless onions, serving retail grocery and foodservice customers across the United States with year-round supply from multiple growing regions and a new East Coast facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Onions 52 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fresh Produce — Onion Distribution
- NAICS
- Vegetable and Melon Farming (11121), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Allium Vegetable Farming (Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Shallots, Chives) (AFAGADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fresh Vegetable Wholesale (AFAIACAB), Fresh Cut / Value-Added Produce Wholesale (Pre-Cut, Packaged, Salad Kits) (AFAIACAD), Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIACAE)
Keywords
Where Onions 52 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Syracuse
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Onions 52 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Onion Sales: Onions 52 generates revenue through wholesale onion sales to retail and foodservice partners. They sell directly to grocery stores and food service operations with various packaging options ranging from 2lb consumer bags to 2000lb totes. The company offers private labeling for retail partners.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Onions 52 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Onions 52 is a vertically integrated grower-shipper of fresh onions, supplying retail grocery and foodservice partners 52 weeks per year across the United States through grower-partner operations in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, and Idaho. Its core product line includes Yellow, Red, White, Certified Sweet, USDA Organic, and the proprietary Smileys® tearless sweet onions, packed in formats ranging from 2lb consumer bags to 2000lb bulk totes. The company also offers private labeling, custom packaging design services, and downloadable trade marketing materials for retail and foodservice partners.
Product overview
Onions 52 is a vertically integrated onion supplier offering a focused portfolio of onion products grown, packed, and shipped year-round. The core product line includes Yellow Onions, Red Onions, White Onions, Organic Onions, Certified Sweets (Columbia River Sweets, Carzalias, Tampico Sweets, Texas 1015s), and the proprietary Smileys tearless sweet onion brand. Supporting the product portfolio are packaging and private labeling services with options ranging from consumer-facing 1-10lb packages to bulk 2000lb totes, plus downloadable marketing assets and brand guidelines for retail and foodservice trade partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smileys®: Tearless and sweet onions that grow sweeter and milder over time after harvest from Washington state. The compounds that cause crying in regular onions decrease over time, resulting in a mild, sweet, tear-free onion experience.
- Sunions®
Products and services
- Yellow Onions All-purpose yellow onion variety ideal for slow cooking, soups, stews, stocks, risottos, and sauces; develops sweet flavor when cooked. Sold to retail grocery and foodservice partners as a year-round supply item.
- Red Onions Red onions with bright exterior, sweet taste, and red-and-white interior; crisp and mild, suited for raw consumption and grilling. Sold to retail grocery and foodservice partners.
- White Onions Spicy, zesty, tangy white onions suited for Mexican dishes, salsa, and tacos; sharp when raw, mellow when cooked. Sold to retail grocery and foodservice partners.
- Organic Onions USDA-certified organic onions available in yellow, red, white, and sweet varieties, plus Sunions. All product and packaging are certified organic and approved by the USDA. Sold to retail grocery and foodservice partners.
- Certified Sweets Certified sweet onion varieties — Columbia River Sweets, Carzalias, Tampico Sweets, and Texas 1015s — with candy-sweet taste and low pungency, available year-round through growing regions in Texas, Washington, and New Mexico. Sold to retail grocery and foodservice partners.
- Smileys® Tearless Sweet Onions Naturally tearless and consistently sweet onions cultivated through three decades of proprietary farming, grown in Washington state's nutrient-rich soil. Compounds that cause crying decrease over time after harvest, resulting in mild, sweet, tear-free onions. Sold to retail grocery and foodservice partners under the registered Smileys® trademark.
- Sunions® Certified Organic Sweet Onions Certified organic sweet onions carrying the registered Sunions® trademark and complying with USDA organic standards. Sold to retail grocery partners as a value-added differentiated organic SKU.
- Packaging & Private Labeling Services Custom packaging and private labeling service offering consumer packaging (1ct wineglass tags, 2–10lb bags for retail) and bulk packaging (25–2000lb totes), plus private labeling and design services, supplied to retail grocery and foodservice partners alongside onion volume.
Companies that use Onions 52
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Onions 52 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Onions 52 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Laura Ashley Johnson, RDN, CDEminorPartnership with Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator for Heart Health Month (February) to promote onion-centric recipes and health benefits education through the Onions 52 website and social media channels.
- Cody Shiflett ProduceminorNew partnership announced in 2022 for onion supply and distribution collaboration.
- Hatch Valley ProduceminorNew partnership announced in 2022 for onion supply and distribution collaboration.
- Hartley ProducecoreGrower partner in Prosser, WA with pipeline infrastructure transporting water from Columbia River to surrounding farms. Key growing operations partner.
- International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)minorIndustry association membership for produce industry networking and advocacy.
- Southeast Produce CouncilminorIndustry association membership for produce industry networking, particularly for SEPC Southern Innovations trade show participation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Onions 52 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- River Point Farms: One of the largest onion growers and shippers in the US, headquartered in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated onion grower-shipper with similar varietal breadth (yellow, red, white, sweet) and year-round supply ambitions.
- Peri & Sons Farms: Family-owned Nevada-based grower-shipper specializing in sweet onions (including proprietary varieties) and year-round program supply. Directly comparable in product focus, retail/foodservice go-to-market, and vertically integrated farm-to-pack operations.
- Keystone Fruit Marketing: Pennsylvania-headquartered produce grower-packer-shipper with a strong onion program alongside other vegetables. Comparable as a multi-region produce shipper serving retail and foodservice with private label capabilities.
- Murakami Produce Company: Oregon-based onion grower-shipper offering year-round supply across multiple varietals including proprietary sweet onion brands. Directly comparable in vertically integrated supply, varietal breadth, and B2B produce distribution.
- Basin Gold Cooperative: Washington-based grower-owned cooperative specializing in onions and potatoes. Comparable as a multi-region grower-shipper network serving retail and foodservice with year-round supply capabilities and varietal breadth.
- Shuman Farms: Georgia-based Vidalia onion grower-shipper with the RealSweet® brand and year-round sweet onion program through Peruvian partnerships. Comparable in branded sweet onion positioning, retail focus, and vertically integrated grower-shipper model.
- Wada Farms: Idaho-based multi-generational grower-shipper specializing in onions and potatoes with year-round supply and retail/foodservice channels. Comparable in vertically integrated operations, varietal focus, and similar regional Midwest/Mountain growing footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Fresh Del Monte Produce: Global fresh produce heavyweight with a broad portfolio spanning fresh-cut vegetables, fruits, and prepared produce. Overlaps with Onions 52 in fresh vegetable wholesale and retail/foodservice distribution at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
- Taylor Farms: Largest fresh-cut produce manufacturer in North America, serving retail deli, foodservice, and consumer brands. Comparable as a value-added fresh produce supplier with strong retail and foodservice relationships, though operates at much broader category scope.
- Dole Food Company: Global fresh produce leader with operations across fresh fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods. Overlaps with Onions 52 in fresh vegetable supply and retail distribution, but at vastly greater scale, brand recognition, and category breadth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Onions 52 social profiles
Digital presenceOnions 52 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Onions 52 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Onions 52 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Onions 52 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Onions 52 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 Onions 52
What does Onions 52 do?
Onions 52 is a vertically integrated grower-shipper of fresh onions, supplying retail grocery and foodservice partners 52 weeks per year across the United States through grower-partner operations in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Texas, New Mexico, and Idaho. Its core product line includes Yellow, Red, White, Certified Sweet, USDA Organic, and the proprietary Smileys® tearless sweet onions, packed in formats ranging from 2lb consumer bags to 2000lb bulk totes. The company also offers private labeling, custom packaging design services, and downloadable trade marketing materials for retail and foodservice partners.
Is Onions 52 a public or private company?
Onions 52 is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Onions 52 founded?
Onions 52 was founded in 1977. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Onions 52 based?
Onions 52 is headquartered in Syracuse, United States, in the North America region.
How does Onions 52 make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Onion Sales.
Who are Onions 52's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are River Point Farms, Peri & Sons Farms, Keystone Fruit Marketing, Murakami Produce Company, Basin Gold Cooperative, Shuman Farms and Wada Farms. Broad incumbents are Fresh Del Monte Produce, Taylor Farms and Dole Food Company.
Does Onions 52 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Onions 52.
What industry is Onions 52 in?
Onions 52's product category is Fresh Produce — Onion Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGADAD, Allium Vegetable Farming (Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Shallots, Chives), with a secondary code of AFAIACAB, Fresh Vegetable Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 11121 and its SIC code is 100.