The Blueberry People™

What The Blueberry People™ does

MBG Marketing — operating as The Blueberry People™ and legally known as the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association — is a grower-owned agricultural marketing cooperative founded on November 2, 1936, in Grand Junction, Michigan, and now headquartered at the same location. It is the self-described largest grower-owned marketer of fresh and value-added processed cultivated blueberries in the world, aggregating production from more than 200 member-growers operating 550+ farms across 8 US states (Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, North Carolina) and British Columbia, Canada. Its core commercial function is marketing member berries under the globally recognized Naturipe® Farms brand — a joint marketing entity it co-governs with three other grower-owner partners following the 2000 partnership with Hortifrut S.A. — and through MB Global Foods for international frozen distribution.

The cooperative's underlying technology and service platform is built around two pillars. First, Berry Blue LLC is MBG's wholly-owned plant genetics subsidiary that maintains the largest known base of blueberry plant genetics and has produced a portfolio of US plant-patented northern and southern highbush blueberry cultivars plus the Southern Grace™ floricane blackberry; in March 2023 it entered a multi-year, multi-million-dollar breeding partnership with the University of Florida to develop late-season southern highbush varieties. Second, MBG operates an integrated grower services stack comprising food safety compliance (99% third-party audit score average), horticultural consulting, information technology (satellite imagery field acreage mapping, packing/warehouse management software, PTI/GS1 traceability, online grower portal), grower accounting with weekly direct-deposit advances, operations management across 25+ distribution centers with cold-chain capability, and a social responsibility and sustainability program.

The business model is a producer cooperative operating on an 'operating at cost' basis: member-growers own the entity, an 11-person elected Board of Directors governs it, and surplus is returned to members rather than external shareholders. Revenue streams comprise fresh and processed berry marketing through Naturipe Farms (transaction-fee economics), value-added processed berry products, and proprietary variety licensing through Berry Blue LLC. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and there is no venture capital or institutional ownership. MBG sells to grocery retailers and food-service operators globally via the Naturipe channel, while its own customer-facing activities (blueberries.com, social media, The Business of Blueberries podcast, recipes content, USHBC/NABC engagement) target grower recruitment and consumer demand development.

Name

The Blueberry People™

Legal name

Michigan Blueberry Growers Association (d/b/a MBG Marketing)

Website

https://blueberries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MBG Marketing (The Blueberry People™) is a grower-owned cooperative and the world's largest grower-owned marketer of fresh and processed cultivated blueberries, aggregating 200+ growers across 550+ farms in 8 US states and British Columbia, and selling member berries through the Naturipe Farms brand and proprietary Berry Blue LLC genetics program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Berry Marketing & Distribution

NAICS

Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334), Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAD), Frozen Foods Wholesale (Packaged & Private Label) (AFAIAHAA), Canned & Jarred Fruit & Vegetable Processing (Canning, Bottling) (AFAKAFAH)

Keywords

• Grower-owned cooperative
• Fresh berry marketing
• Proprietary plant breeding
• Cold chain distribution
• Blueberry blackberry supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Junction

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Berry Sales: MBG markets fresh blueberries and blackberries through the Naturipe Farms brand, one of the world's leading berry marketers. The cooperative operates on an 'operating at cost' model, providing competitive advantages to member-growers.
2. Value-Added Processed Products: Marketing of processed berry products alongside fresh berries through the Naturipe brand
3. Proprietary Variety Licensing: Berry Blue LLC licenses proprietary blueberry varieties to nurseries, growers, and distributors in the US and internationally

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MBG Marketing is a grower-owned cooperative that markets and distributes fresh and value-added processed blueberries and blackberries grown by its 200+ member-growers across 8 US states and British Columbia through the globally recognized Naturipe Farms brand. It provides a comprehensive suite of grower services (food safety, horticulture, IT, accounting, operations management, sustainability) and operates Berry Blue, LLC, a proprietary plant breeding program licensing patented blueberry varieties to nurseries, growers, and distributors internationally.

Product overview

MBG Marketing is a grower-owned blueberry and blackberry marketing cooperative operating as a unified platform-plus-modules structure. The core offering is the Naturipe® Farms brand, under which blueberries and blackberries are sold globally. Supporting this are proprietary genetics through Berry Blue, LLC, which develops and licenses patented blueberry and blackberry varieties to member-growers. The cooperative provides a comprehensive suite of modular grower services: Food Safety (audit and compliance), Horticultural Services (field support and crop management), Information Technology Solutions (farm tech, traceability, and grower portals), Grower Accounting (payments and reporting), Operations Management (cold chain and logistics), and Social Responsibility/Sustainability programs. Together these services allow member-growers to focus on growing berries while MBG handles marketing, distribution, and compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Naturipe®: Farmer-owned producer and marketer of healthy, good-for-you fresh berries grown by working family farmers. A globally recognized brand for premium berries and avocados with over 100 years of industry leadership producing healthy, deliciously fresh, frozen, and value-added products.
• Berry Blue, LLC

Products and services

• Naturipe Farms Brand Berries (Fresh and Frozen) Fresh, frozen, and value-added blueberries, blackberries, and avocados marketed globally under the Naturipe brand; sold to grocery retailers and food service companies worldwide. MBG is one of four grower-owner partners governing the Naturipe organization.
• Berry Blue, LLC Proprietary Blueberry and Blackberry Varieties Proprietary plant genetics company developing new and improved northern and southern highbush blueberry varieties plus the Southern Grace floricane blackberry; offers patented varieties licensed to nurseries, growers, and distributors in the US and internationally. Utilizes the largest base of blueberry plant genetics anywhere.
• Food Safety Program An industry-leading food safety program for berry production, including water quality monitoring, pesticide compliance verification, annual third-party audit certification, and regulatory inspection support; achieves a 99% average third-party audit score across MBG growers and packers.
• Horticultural Services Grower education and training, field acreage mapping by variety using satellite imagery, crop estimating tools, pest management consulting, soil analyses, and industry representation through university research partnerships including the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding Program.
• Information Technology Solutions Technology solutions for member-growers including field acreage mapping with satellite imagery and historical weather, pesticide use recording and reporting, harvest scale solutions, seasonal yield forecasting, packing and warehouse management software, PTI/GS1 label traceability programs, and an online member grower portal.
• Grower Accounting Transaction tracking from weekly sales reporting through final crop proceeds payments, including seasonal weekly direct deposit advances, regional pooling, online payment and production reporting, and year-end tax reporting for member-growers.
• Operations Management (Receiving, Cooling, Warehousing, Shipping) State-of-the-art receiving, inspection, cooling, warehousing, and shipping of member blueberries and blackberries from harvest to market across 25+ distribution centers, including pack planning, industry market calls, and cold chain management.
• Social Responsibility and Sustainability Program Industry-leading social responsibility program including grower certification, farmworker training, labor guidance, audit preparation, sustainability benchmarking, and engagement with national and state sustainability programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% 3rd-party food safety audit score average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Florida Blueberry Breeding ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2023Berry Blue LLC., an MBG Marketing company, partnered with the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding Program to research and develop new and proprietary late-season southern highbush blueberry varieties. This multi-year, multi-million dollar investment focuses on late May and June varieties, bringing together combined breeding efforts and technology to deliver transformative cultivars to MBG growers.
• Hortifrut S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2000MBG and Hortifrut S.A. partnered to create Global Berry Farms in 2000, which is now called Naturipe Farms - one of the world's leading berry marketers.
• Naturipe FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBG is one of four grower-owner partners actively governing the Naturipe organization, the world's leading marketer of top-quality fresh berries. MBG and Hortifrut S.A. partnered in 2000 to create Global Berry Farms, now called Naturipe Farms, a farmer-owned producer and marketer of premium berries and avocados.
• MB Global FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBG Marketing is a partner in MB Global Foods, an international frozen food business based in Montreal, Canada, expanding the cooperative's reach into processed berry products globally.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves20 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wish Farms: Wish Farms is a US grower-marketer of blueberries and strawberries with proprietary varieties (e.g., the 'Wish Farms' brand and 'Pink-A-Boo' pineberries). Comparable to MBG as a US-based, grower-aligned fresh berry marketer with proprietary genetics and national retail distribution.
• Naturipe Farms: Naturipe Farms is the jointly-owned marketing entity in which MBG is one of four grower-owner partners. It markets premium fresh and frozen berries, including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries globally - MBG's primary go-to-market brand and channel.
• Sunny Valley International: Sunny Valley International is a US-based blueberry and blackberry packer/marketer with grower networks on the East Coast. Directly comparable to MBG as a regional fresh blueberry marketer targeting grocery retail and foodservice channels.
• California Giant Berry Farms: California Giant is a US grower-owned berry packer and marketer offering blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries nationally. Comparable to MBG as a grower-aligned fresh berry cooperative-style marketer with branded retail programs.
• Hortifrut S.A. Hortifrut is a Chile-based global blueberry and berry producer-marketer and co-owner of Naturipe Farms with MBG. Directly comparable as a grower-aligned blueberry marketer with proprietary genetics, international footprint, and value-added berry products.
• Berry Brothers: Berry Brothers is a grower-owned cooperative and brand partner of Naturipe Farms operating across the Pacific Northwest, comparable to MBG as a regional grower-owned blueberry and blackberry marketing cooperative under the Naturipe umbrella.
• Oregon Berry Packing Company: Oregon Berry Packing is a Pacific Northwest grower, packer, and marketer of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and marionberries, also a Naturipe partner. Comparable to MBG as a regional grower-marketer in the fresh berry supply chain.

Others

• Döhler Group: Döhler is a global producer of fruit-based ingredients and processed berry products for the food and beverage industry. Comparable to MBG's value-added processed berry business (MB Global Foods) as a downstream buyer/processor of frozen and processed berries.

Emerging players

• Fall Creek Farm & Nursery: Fall Creek is a global blueberry nursery and breeding company developing proprietary blueberry varieties (e.g., Bluecrop, Draper, Liberty). Comparable to MBG's Berry Blue LLC as a competing blueberry genetics and nursery supplier for growers worldwide.

Broad incumbents

• Driscoll's: Driscoll's is the world's largest berry marketer, offering fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries with proprietary genetics and vertically integrated grower networks - directly comparable to MBG's Naturipe-marketed fresh blueberry and blackberry portfolio but at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mbggrowers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mbg-marketing
• Instagraminstagram.com/mbggrowers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 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 The Blueberry People™