Kristy Kartage

What Kristy Kartage does

Kristy Kuts is a private, family-owned precut produce processor and distributor operating as a brand within J. Ambrogi Foods and headquartered at 1451 Metropolitan Avenue, Thorofare, New Jersey. The company produces fresh-cut fruits, vegetables, citrus, blends, and specialty items (vegetable noodles, single-serve pouches branded Jerry Jems, and Wrapped & Ready retail packaging) for three primary customer segments: foodservice professionals such as chefs, caterers, hotels, and restaurants; K-12 school nutrition programs supported through the Ambrogi Kids channel partner program; and retail consumers purchasing packaged items like fruit cups, chunks, clamshells, and overwrapped produce. Operations are anchored in a single precut facility that prepares products daily to order, supported by an owned Mid-Atlantic delivery fleet equipped with Samsara GPS Vehicle Gateways, real-time temperature and humidity sensors, AI dashcams, and a Samsara Driver App used for pre/post-trip vehicle inspections; backup power is provided by Kohler commercial generators enabling 24/7 operations during outages.

The company generates revenue through three streams: B2B wholesale foodservice distribution (transaction-based, quote-priced by customer type and volume); K-12 school nutrition supply under the Ambrogi Kids program, with compliance support for USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) and Buy American provisions; and retail product sales (one-time purchases of individually packaged fresh-cut items). Go-to-market is sales-led with a dedicated phone-based sales team, an online ordering platform hosted on J. Ambrogi Foods' portal, and channel partnerships for the school segment. Marketing is conducted via a 3D flip-book digital catalog, seasonal promotional flyers, the weekly The Gist market report newsletter, and organic social media (Facebook, Instagram). The company serves customers exclusively in the Mid-Atlantic region from the Philadelphia Produce Market footprint, with no disclosed expansion plans beyond this geography, and pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The business traces its roots to 1884, when Narcissa Ambrogi began delivering produce in Philadelphia, evolving through a 1900 retail store at 13 South 15th Street, a 1965 pivot to wholesale distribution led by John Ambrogi Sr., and the 1987 incorporation of J. Ambrogi Foods by Jerry and Kristy Ambrogi with three accounts. Current leadership consists of Kristy Ambrogi (President) and Michael Ambrogi (son of the founders, joined 2015), representing the fourth generation of family ownership, with the Ambrogi family now in its fifth generation since 1884. The company maintains an active public employment portal through Paylocity and publishes weekly market reports and seasonal promotional materials, with no external institutional investors, private equity, or public shareholders indicated in the source material.

Name

Kristy Kartage

Legal name

Kristy Kuts

Website

https://kristykuts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kristy Kuts is a private, family-owned Mid-Atlantic precut produce processor and distributor that supplies fresh-cut fruits, vegetables, citrus, blends, and specialty items to foodservice professionals, K-12 school nutrition programs, and retail consumers via an owned temperature-controlled delivery fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh-cut produce processing and distribution

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Other Food Manufacturing (3119)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients for Food Manufacturing (Diced, Slices, Fillings, Toppings) (AFAKAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cold Prepared Foods & Meal Components (Sides, Proteins, Family Meals) (CRAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Fresh-cut produce
• Foodservice distribution
• Precut fruits vegetables
• Wholesale produce supplier
• School nutrition produce

Headquarters

HQ city

Thorofare

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Foodservice Distribution: Kristy Kuts sells precut fruits and vegetables directly to foodservice professionals, chefs, restaurants, and institutional customers through wholesale distribution. Products are delivered via the company's own fleet.
2. Retail Product Sales: Sale of individually packaged and freshly cut products including fruit cups, chunks, clamshells, and Wrapped & Ready products through retail channels.
3. School Nutrition Programs: Supply of produce to K-12 school food service operations through the Ambrogi Kids program, supporting federally funded meal initiatives including FFVP and Buy American compliance.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kristy Kuts operates a precut produce processing facility in Thorofare, NJ, producing fresh-cut fruits, vegetables, citrus wedges and wheels, blends, vegetable noodles, and single-serve pouches (Jerry Jems) for chefs, foodservice operators, restaurants, K-12 schools, and retail customers. Products are made fresh daily and delivered across the Mid-Atlantic region via the company's own temperature-controlled fleet equipped with Samsara GPS tracking and cold-chain monitoring.

Product overview

Kristy Kuts is a food processing company and partner of J. Ambrogi Foods offering a comprehensive portfolio of precut produce products. The core offering consists of Kristy Kuts branded precut fruits and vegetables with exceptionally precise cuts for foodservice professionals. The product line includes: (1) Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables across dozens of varieties, (2) Jerry Jems single-serve pouches for convenient snacking, (3) Blends for foodservice convenience, (4) Vegetable noodles and rice alternatives, (5) Retail offerings including fruit cups, clamshell vegetables, and Wrapped & Ready overwrapped produce. The company serves the Mid-Atlantic region with a focus on both foodservice (restaurants, caterers) and retail channels, supported by an educational program for K-12 school food services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jerry Jems: Single-serve fruit and vegetable pouches marketed primarily for school feeding programs under the Ambrogi Kids Program. Products include JEMS BEANS GREEN, JEMS MANGO SPEAR, JEMS PEPPER GREEN STRIP, JEMS TOMATO GRAPE & CARROT, and various fruit and vegetable single-serve options.
• Ambrogi Kids Program
• Wrapped & Ready

Products and services

• Kristy Kuts Precut Fruits and Vegetables
• Jerry Jems Single-Serve Pouches
• Wrapped & Ready Retail Produce
• Ambrogi Kids Program
• Retail Offerings (Fruit Cups and Clamshell Vegetables)

Quantifiable outcome

• Made fresh in precut facility daily
• +1 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Make-A-Wish FoundationminorOthers · 1 January 1999Since 1999, J. Ambrogi Foods and Kristy Kuts have made donations on behalf of customers every holiday season. Combined with employee donations in honor of Jerry Ambrogi, they have helped grant wishes for 75 children and families.
• DFRC (Delaware Foundation for Residential Care)minorOthers · 1 January 1992Over 30-year partnership supporting DFRC's mission to advocate for individuals with intellectual disABILITIES. What started as volunteer coaching in 1992 has grown into ongoing sponsorship and donations on behalf of customers, supporting the Hand-in-Hand Program and independent living opportunities.
• J. Ambrogi FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKristy Kuts is a partner/subsidiary of J. Ambrogi Foods, a five-generation family-owned food distributor established in 1884. J. Ambrogi Foods provides the parent company infrastructure while Kristy Kuts focuses on precut produce products. Both companies share facilities and technology including Kohler backup generators.
• SamsaracoreTechnology or IntegrationSamsara provides GPS Vehicle Gateway technology for all delivery trucks, enabling real-time GPS tracking, built-in WiFi hotspot, live engine diagnostics, certified ELD compliance, and AI dashcams for driver safety monitoring.
• KohlercoreTechnology or IntegrationKohler commercial generators installed at both J. Ambrogi Foods and Kristy Kuts facilities, providing reliable backup power for continuous 24/7 operations during power outages.
• PhilabundanceminorOthersKristy Kuts partners with Philabundance to address food insecurity through produce donations, helping distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to families in need in the greater Philadelphia region.
• Blessings of HopeminorOthersThrough the Hands of Hope program, Kristy Kuts donates cases of produce on behalf of customers, employees, and the company family to address food waste and hunger. Donations are distributed to families in need as part of the company's zero food waste mission.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Taylor Farms: The largest fresh-cut produce processor in North America, supplying foodservice and retail with salads, vegetables, and prepared produce. Highly comparable product line (precut vegetables, blends, kits) but at vastly greater scale and national footprint.
• Ready Pac Foods (Bonduel Fresh): Major fresh-cut produce and ready-meals processor serving retail and foodservice with salads, vegetables, and snack packs. Directly comparable on prepared fruit cups, single-serve produce, and clamshell products, though at national scale.
• Fresh Express: National packaged salads and fresh-cut produce brand owned by Chiquita. Comparable on fresh-cut processing and foodservice/retail distribution, though focused primarily on bagged salads and leafy greens rather than broader precut fruits/vegetables.

Emerging players

• Litehouse Foods: Refrigerated and fresh foods producer (dressings, herbs, vegetables, sauces) with strong foodservice and retail presence. Comparable on fresh/refrigerated value-added produce and foodservice channel focus.
• Misionero Vegetables: Fresh-cut salad, vegetable, and organic produce processor supplying retail and foodservice. Comparable product line (precut vegetables, blends, organic offerings) and channel mix, though focused primarily on the West Coast.
• Earthbound Farm: Organic fresh produce brand with packaged salads and fresh-cut offerings sold through retail and foodservice. Comparable on fresh-cut processing and retail packaged produce formats, with stronger organic positioning.

Direct peers

• Lancaster Foods: Mid-Atlantic produce distributor and fresh-cut processor based in Maryland serving foodservice and retail customers. Direct regional competitor with overlapping territory, similar customer base (restaurants, schools, retailers), and comparable precut capabilities.
• Giorgio Foods: Pennsylvania-based fresh mushroom and produce processor supplying foodservice customers. Regional Mid-Atlantic competitor with overlapping foodservice customer base and comparable fresh-cut processing model.
• Mann Packing (Mann's Fresh Vegetables): Fresh-cut vegetable processor supplying foodservice and retail with broccoli florets, vegetable trays, stir-fry mixes, and snack packs. Closely comparable product mix and channel strategy, especially on vegetable blends and value-added SKUs.

Others

• Produce Alliance: Group purchasing and supply-chain organization for foodservice distributors. Adjacent ecosystem participant that competes for distributor relationships and could be either a partner channel or competitive threat depending on how Kristy Kuts positions its distribution network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kristykuts
• Instagraminstagram.com/kristykuts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kristy-kuts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Kristy Kartage