Jealous Fruits

What Jealous Fruits does

Jealous Fruits Ltd. is a privately held, family-owned cherry producer and exporter headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, operating across the Okanagan and Thompson valleys. The Geen family has farmed cherries in the region since 1904, with the Jealous Fruits brand established in 2008 by founder David Geen and absorbing the earlier Coral Beach Farms operation. The company cultivates 1,312+ planted acres across 50+ farm locations, producing 14 distinct cherry varieties (including Cristalina, Lapins, Skeena, Sweetheart, Regina, Staccato, Sentennial, and Sovereign) with a portfolio weighted toward late-season genetics that position it as the 'Grande Finale' of the North American cherry season from mid-June through mid-September.

The company's core operational asset is the 140,000 sq ft Duck Lake packing facility near Kelowna Airport, featuring 28 lanes of UNITEC Cherry Vision 3 optical sorting, automated box fillers (handling 2.5kg, 5kg, 9kg, clamshells, and pouch bags), the first UNITEC automatic palletizers in North America, 550 tons of cold storage, and 18 tons/hour processing throughput. A traceability system links individual fruit to the originating orchard block. Operations rely on night-picking protocols that maintain 15-18°C pulp temperatures and a government-partnered seasonal workforce through SAWP and the Agricultural Stream Program, with on-site dormitories housing 130 staff during the 6-8 week harvest.

Revenue is generated primarily through B2B wholesale of premium cherries to international and domestic grocery retailers and produce distributors, with approximately 95% of production exported to Asia (Taiwan, China, Vietnam), Europe (UK, France), and North America. Secondary revenue includes contract packing services for select outside growers (monetizing facility capacity) and a small on-site retail shop at Duck Lake. The company holds an 80+ year exclusive partnership with the Summerland Research Station for proprietary late-season cherry genetics, employs 501-1,000 people including seasonal labor, and reports no external funding rounds, reflecting self-funded family ownership.

Name

Jealous Fruits

Legal name

Jealous Fruits Ltd.

Website

https://jealousfruits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Jealous Fruits is a family-owned Canadian cherry producer operating 1,312+ acres across the Okanagan and Thompson valleys, exporting 95% of premium late-season cherry varieties (Sweetheart, Staccato, Sentennial, Sovereign) to international grocery retailers in Asia, Europe, and North America via a state-of-the-art 140,000 sq ft automated packing facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Premium Cherries

NAICS

Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (11133)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Stone Fruit Orchards (Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots) (AFAGACAC)

Keywords

• Premium cherry production
• Fresh fruit exports
• Wholesale produce supply
• Cherry packing services
• Orchard cultivation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Wholesale Produce Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling premium cherries to international and national grocery retailers, produce distributors, and foodservice companies. Product is sold in various packaging formats (2.5kg, 5kg, 9kg, clamshells, pouch bags) and shipped by air, sea, and ground transportation. Approximately 95% of production is exported to international markets including Asia, Europe, and North America.
2. Direct-to-Consumer Retail: On-site retail shop at the Duck Lake packing facility allows direct sales to consumers visiting the operation. Part of integrated farm experience offering.
3. Contract Packing Services: With increased capacity from the new facility, Jealous Fruits has begun packing cherries for select outside growers, generating additional revenue from processing services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Jealous Fruits grows, packs, and exports 14 premium cherry varieties from over 1,300 planted acres in British Columbia's Okanagan and Thompson valleys, anchored by a 140,000 sq ft state-of-the-art packing facility with UNITEC Cherry Vision 3 optical sorting. Approximately 95% of production is exported to international grocery retailers and produce distributors in Asia, Europe, and North America, sold in 2.5kg, 5kg, 9kg, clamshell, and pouch bag formats. The company also provides contract packing services for select outside growers.

Product overview

Jealous Fruits is a family-owned cherry growing and exporting company that operates as a single unified agricultural business producing and packing premium cherries from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The product portfolio consists of 14 distinct cherry varieties (Cristalina, Burgundy Pearl, Van, Suite Note, Satin, Kordia, Lapins, Skeena, Rainier, Sweetheart, Regina, Staccato, Sentennial, and Sovereign), supported by a state-of-the-art 140,000 sq ft packing facility featuring UNITEC Cherry Vision 3 optical sorting technology. The company exports to international markets with the flagship Sweetheart variety and its progeny (Staccato, Sentennial, Sovereign) representing two-thirds of production, while their late-season availability position provides a competitive advantage as the 'Grande Finale' of the North American cherry season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cristalina Cherries An extremely attractive large dark red heart-shaped fruit with sweet, firm, dark red flesh. Ripens early season. Sold to international grocery retailers and produce distributors in 2.5kg, 5kg, 9kg, clamshell, and pouch bag formats.
• Burgundy Pearl Cherries A large dark red cherry with above average firmness and superior flavor. One of the earliest ripening cherries in the portfolio. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and produce distributors.
• Van Cherries A classic cherry grown in limited volumes, with very broad shoulders, fat green stems, and a crunchy texture. Ripens early season. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and produce distributors.
• Suite Note Cherries Originates from the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland. A very large and firm cherry with kidney to heart-shaped figure and long stems. Dark red in colour. Ripens around mid-July. Sold wholesale.
• Satin Cherries The earliest maturing variety in the Jealous Fruits portfolio. A large, heart-shaped cherry with a thick green stem. Very firm with a mild sweet flavor. Has a niche following amongst cherry connoisseurs. Sold wholesale.
• Kordia (Attika) Cherries Also known as Attika. A long-heart shaped cherry with a long and thin stem. Dark red to black in colour with very high sugar content. Originates from the Czech Republic. Sold wholesale.
• Lapins Cherries A sweet, firm, juicy cherry highly suitable for the northerly climate. Very large and broad shouldered. Named after Dr. Karl Lapins who pioneered the breeding work. Sold wholesale.
• Skeena Cherries Originates from the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland. Distinguished by large, kidney shape and very firm with thick stems. Sold wholesale.
• Rainier Cherries Developed by H.W. Fogel at Washington State University. Named after Mount Rainier. A golden-yellow cherry with red blush, very sweet with a round-heart shape. Parentage: Bing x Van. Cultivated under vented rain covers at Jealous Fruits. Sold wholesale.
• Sweetheart Cherries Considered the flagship variety. Large with thick green stem, very firm flesh, balanced flavour, and bright pinstriped dark red over red finish. Parent of Staccato, Sentennial, and Sovereign. Sold wholesale.
• Regina Cherries Dark, large and firm cherry with low acid and sweet flavour. Has a very long stem and is heart-shaped. Stores exceptionally well. Originates from Germany. Jealous Fruits is the largest producer of Regina cherries in Canada. Sold wholesale.
• Staccato Cherries A patented variety mostly produced in British Columbia. Inherited the firm crunchy texture from parent Sweetheart, along with fine appearance and taste. Stores very well. Flagship variety for August. Sold wholesale.
• Sentennial Cherries A relatively new variety with 549 acres planted in full commercial production. Broad shouldered like a Lapin with extremely firm, crunchy texture. Peaks on 9.5 row. Sold wholesale.
• Sovereign Cherries Released from the Summerland breeding program in 2006. One of the most recent introductions. Very firm texture with a long, thick stem and more of a heart shape than Sweetheart or Staccato. Ships very well. Sold wholesale.
• Contract Cherry Packing Services Packing services offered to select outside cherry growers using the 140,000 sq ft Duck Lake facility. Includes UNITEC Cherry Vision 3 optical sorting, automated box filling, automatic palletizing, hydrocooling, and 550 tons of cold storage. Designed for growers needing advanced optical sorting and gentle handling to meet international buyer quality standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 tons per hour packing capacity, 4.7x increase from previous 30,000 sq ft facility
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Klever FruitsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration on promotional events for unboxing Canadian cherries in Vietnam. Joint marketing effort to promote Jealous Fruits products in Asian markets.
• Summerland Research Station (Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with the Summerland Research Station in British Columbia dating back to the 1940s for continuous cherry variety improvement. The research station produces new varieties through traditional cross-breeding methods. Jealous Fruits has exclusive access to new varieties from the Summerland breeding program including Staccato, Sentennial, Sovereign, and Suite Note. The company has absolutely no genetically modified (GMO) produce, relying solely on conventional breeding.
• Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)coreOthersGovernment program enabling employment of temporary foreign workers from Mexico and Jamaica through SAWP, and from Guatemala, Mexico, Jamaica, Peru, South Africa and other countries through the Agricultural Stream Program. Critical for staffing during 6-8 week harvest season.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hood River Cherry Company: Oregon-based grower and shipper of premium cherries including Rainier and dark sweet varieties. Comparable as a regional cherry producer focused on premium quality and direct relationships with retail buyers across North America.
• CMI Orchards: Washington State grower-marketer of apples, cherries, and pears with a strong export focus. Directly comparable as a Pacific Northwest premium cherry supplier serving the same international grocery retail customer base as Jealous Fruits.
• Chelan Fresh Marketing: Washington State cherry, apple, and pear grower-marketer with global export reach. Comparable as a vertically integrated cherry producer using state-of-the-art packing technology to supply premium grocery retailers worldwide.
• Stemilt Growers: One of the largest cherry and tree fruit growers/packers in Washington State, exporting globally. Directly comparable as a major Pacific Northwest cherry producer with a similar multi-variety portfolio, late-season positioning, and international B2B distribution focus.
• Domex Superfresh Growers: Yakima, Washington-based grower and packer of cherries, apples, and pears with major export operations. Comparable as a vertically integrated cherry operation with significant orchard scale, automated packing, and export relationships into Asia.
• Borton Fruit: Family-owned Pacific Northwest grower-packer of cherries, apples, and pears. Comparable as a multi-generational family cherry operation with vertically integrated orchard-to-packing operations and export distribution.
• Sage Fruit Company: Pacific Northwest grower-packer-marketer of cherries, apples, and pears serving domestic and export markets. Directly comparable as a multi-variety cherry supplier with similar packhouse technology investments and retail-focused B2B sales motion.

Others

• Northwest Cherry Growers: Industry body representing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah cherry growers. Comparable as the marketing and research arm for the primary competitive cherry-growing region in North America, directly relevant to Jealous Fruits' competitive context.

Broad incumbents

• T&G Global: New Zealand-headquartered global fresh produce company (formerly Turners & Growers) with significant apple, grape, and cherry operations across the Southern Hemisphere. Comparable as a globally diversified premium produce grower-packer-exporter with international retail relationships overlapping Jealous Fruits' export markets.

Regional players

• Alsum Farms & Produce: Wisconsin-based grower, packer, and distributor of potatoes, onions, and other produce. Partially comparable as a regional produce grower-packer-distributor serving wholesale and retail channels, though focused on different crop categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Jealous_Fruits
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@jealousfruits9264
• Facebookfacebook.com/jealousfruits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jealous-fruits
• Instagraminstagram.com/jealousfruitsrecruitment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Jealous Fruits