Sweet Seasons

What Sweet Seasons does

Sweet Seasons is a privately held B2B wholesale distributor of fresh produce headquartered in McAllen, Texas, operating from three U.S. locations with an owned delivery fleet serving retailers, restaurants, and food service companies across the United States and Canada. The company offers 150+ SKUs spanning avocados, exotic and tropical fruits, vegetables, peppers, greens, and herbs, with a sourcing base concentrated in Mexico (Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Colima, Chihuahua, Guanajuato) and supplemented by supply from Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Southeast Asia. Key product lines include GLOBALG.A.P.-certified Mexican lychee and rambutan, a diverse pepper catalog spanning 0 to 575,000 Scoville heat units, and traditional Mexican specialty items such as mamey, jícama, cactus pear, and tomatillo. The company has recently extended into European markets (Spain, the UK, and the Netherlands) through distribution partners, and operates a consumer-facing sub-brand, Mamá Chedes, for traditional Mexican confectionery via a direct e-commerce channel.

The business operates with a wholesale, quote-based pricing model, packaging products in standardized cartons and pallets (e.g., 27 lb aloe vera, 25 lb bell peppers, 10 lb lychee, 112-box rambutan pallets), and holds GLOBALG.A.P., PrimusGFS, and SMETA certifications that satisfy major buyer audit requirements. Sweet Seasons maintains a relational sourcing advantage through its Creciendo Juntos producer development program, which convenes growers annually across multiple Mexican agricultural regions and is led by a dedicated Producer Development executive. Marketing and demand generation are concentrated in industry trade shows (CPMA, VIVA Fresh, IFPA Mexico Conference), an active YouTube documentary channel, a Seasons Notes newsletter, and B2B catalog outreach. Ownership and leadership are family-controlled: José Antonio Bernal Sr. serves as CEO, Marina García as CFO, and José Antonio Bernal Jr. as General Manager; José Antonio Bernal Jr. received the TIPA Rising Star Award and delivered a keynote at The Mexico Conference 2026.

Name

Sweet Seasons

Legal name

Sweet Seasons LLC

Website

https://sweetseasons.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sweet Seasons is a Texas-based B2B wholesale distributor of 150+ fresh produce SKUs (tropical, exotic, and Mexican specialty), sourcing primarily from Mexico and serving retailers, restaurants, and food service buyers across the U.S., Canada, and newly entered European markets via owned logistics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce Distribution

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Produce & Specialty Vegetables Wholesale (AFAIAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ethnic Spices, Herbs & Seasonings Wholesale (AFAIAIAF)

Keywords

• Fresh produce distribution
• Wholesale produce supplier
• Tropical fruit sourcing
• Exotic fruit distribution
• Mexican produce importing

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcallen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Fresh Produce Distribution: B2B wholesale distribution of fresh produce including tropical fruits, exotic fruits, vegetables, peppers, and greens to retailers, restaurants, and food service companies across the U.S., Canada, and expanding into European markets.
2. Mamá Chedes Consumer Brand: Consumer-oriented brand under Sweet Seasons offering traditional Mexican cuisine and confectionery products through mamachedes.com e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sweet Seasons is a B2B wholesale distributor of fresh produce, supplying more than 150 items including tropical fruits, exotic fruits, vegetables, peppers, and greens to retailers, restaurants, and food service companies across the U.S. and Canada, with growing exports to European markets. The company operates three U.S. distribution locations with an owned delivery fleet and sources primarily from Mexican agricultural regions. It also operates a consumer-facing sub-brand, Mamá Chedes, that sells traditional Mexican cuisine and confectionery online.

Product overview

Sweet Seasons is a fresh produce distributor offering 150+ products including avocados, exotic fruits, tropical fruits, vegetables, greens, and herbs. The company operates with a core portfolio of fresh produce complemented by a consumer-facing sub-brand (Mamá Chedes) for Mexican cuisine products. Key product categories include Mexican Lychee (available May-July, sourced from multiple Mexican states with Mauritius and Brewster varieties), Rambutan (May-December, from Mexico and Guatemala with R-132 and Emerald varieties), diverse Pepper collection (spanning 0 to 575,000 SHU heat range), and tropical fruits (Mango, Coconut, Pineapple, Mamey, Dragon Fruit). The company sources from around the world with strong Mexican origin focus, operates from three U.S. locations with an on-growing delivery fleet, and distributes wholesale to U.S. and Canada markets. Mamá Chedes represents the company's consumer-oriented brand extension for traditional Mexican confectionery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mamá Chedes: Sweet Seasons' consumer-oriented brand that brings back the traditional flavors of Mexican cuisine and confectionery.

Products and services

• Fresh Produce Distribution Portfolio B2B wholesale distribution catalog of 150+ fresh produce items (avocados, exotic and tropical fruits, vegetables, greens, herbs) for retailers, restaurants, and food service companies across the U.S. and Canada.
• Mexican Lychee Fresh lychee sourced from multiple Mexican states, offered in Mauritius (pinkish green skin) and Brewster (bright purplish red) varieties; available May-July in 10 lb boxes, 5 lb boxes, 1 lb clamshells, and 1 lb pouch bags. GLOBALG.A.P. certified.
• Rambutan Exotic rambutan sourced from southern Mexico and Guatemala, two varieties (R-132 and Emerald), season May-December, available in 5 lb cartons and 15 lb plastic. GLOBALG.A.P. certified.
• Peppers Collection Diverse wholesale pepper assortment of 16+ varieties (Anaheim, Bell, Habanero, Jalapeño, Poblano, Serrano, Shishito, Manzano and more) spanning 0-575,000 SHU heat ratings, for foodservice and retail.
• Mamá Chedes Consumer Brand Direct-to-consumer sub-brand of Sweet Seasons selling traditional Mexican cuisine and confectionery products through the mamachedes.com e-commerce platform to individual consumers.
• Mexican Jícama Export to Europe Export of Mexican jícama (Pachyrhizus erosus) to European markets, starting with the first shipment to Spain via channel partner Maravillas Mexicanas Europa.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• COFOCE (Coordinadora de Fomento al Comercio Exterior)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2025Strategic collaboration with Guanajuato's trade promotion agency. COFOCE supports producers in connecting with international markets through strategic guidance, capacity building, and market intelligence. Sweet Seasons hosted a delegation of agri-export producers from Guanajuato including growers of broccoli, celery, onions, chiles, raspberries, and pitahaya. The partnership aims to strengthen Mexico-U.S. agroexport relations and support producers ready to scale internationally.
• Maravillas Mexicanas EuropacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 19 May 2025European distribution partner that received the first pallet of mamey from Sweet Seasons in Spain, bringing Mexican produce closer to European families and expanding market access for Mexican agricultural products.
• Huertas MagañacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for international expansion of Mexican mamey into UK markets, opening new chapters in European market development for Sweet Seasons produce.
• IFPA (International Fresh Produce Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association organizing The Mexico Conference and other major produce industry events. Sweet Seasons actively participates in IFPA conferences including keynote presentations and industry leadership discussions on food safety, traceability, and producer development.
• TIPA (Texas International Produce Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association representing and advancing the produce industry in Texas as a critical gateway for fresh fruits and vegetables entering the United States. TIPA recognizes outstanding young professionals through awards like the Rising Star Award presented to José Bernal Jr.
• Mexican Grower Partners (Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Colima)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer development partnerships through Creciendo Juntos program. Growers from these Mexican states participate in annual gatherings designed to strengthen partnerships, share knowledge, and build shared paths from field to market. The program focuses on long-term collaboration and mutual growth.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fresh Del Monte Produce: Vertically integrated producer, distributor, and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables globally. Overlapping tropical fruit sourcing (mango, pineapple, papaya) and similar B2B distribution motion, but multinational scale.
• Grimmway Farms: Largest carrot producer in North America with broad produce portfolio. Comparable B2B wholesale distribution into retail and food service channels, though California-based and larger scale.
• Dole Food Company: Global producer and distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables with extensive cold-chain logistics. Directly comparable B2B wholesale produce model, though at vastly larger scale and broader category coverage.
• Driscoll's: Largest berry producer/distributor globally with proprietary genetics and grower network. Comparable as a produce distributor sourcing from grower partners, though far larger and focused on berries rather than Mexican tropical/exotic produce.
• Chiquita Brands International: Major fresh fruit producer/distributor with strong Latin American sourcing roots. Comparable tropical fruit category overlap and cross-border logistics, though bananas-centric at massive scale.

Direct peers

• Mission Produce: World's largest avocado distributor with vertically integrated supply chain and global cold-chain network. Closely comparable Mexican-origin produce sourcing and B2B wholesale distribution model, including international expansion.
• Mastronardi Produce: Fourth-generation greenhouse grower and distributor of specialty produce including peppers and tomatoes. Closely comparable grower-to-retailer model, specialty produce focus, and family-led heritage.
• Taylor Farms: Large-scale fresh produce processor and distributor serving retail and food service. Comparable B2B produce distribution model with strong food-service customer base and operational scale similar in go-to-market approach.
• Oppy (Oppenheimer Group): North American grower-marketer-distributor of fresh produce including tropical and exotic fruits. Closely comparable in category mix (avocados, mangoes, tropicals) and B2B distribution model across US and Canada.

Emerging players

• Giorgio Foods: Specialty produce and mushroom distributor serving food service and retail. Comparable B2B wholesale specialty produce distribution, though with different category focus (mushrooms, vegetables).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9TTDE7ODOUXJOQ9xtUjGPw
• Facebookfacebook.com/SweetSeasonsLLC
• Instagraminstagram.com/sweetseasonsllc
• Xx.com/sweetseasonsllc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sweetseasons-llc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sweet Seasons