heath and lejeune

What heath and lejeune does

Heath and Lejeune, doing business as Soully Organic, is a privately held wholesale distributor of certified organic fresh fruits and vegetables founded in 1981 by Pat Lejeune and Harland Heath, headquartered in an 83,000 sq. ft. repurposed warehouse in Commerce, California. The company operates three integrated service pillars: (1) wholesale distribution of a complete line of certified organic produce including heirloom and specialty items, with approximately 25% of supply sourced internationally (notably organic ginger from Peru via a partnership with Agronegocios La Grama); (2) consolidation and cross-docking services that combine multi-source shipments at the Los Angeles warehouse; and (3) temperature-controlled storage across ten coolers with five temperature zones. Core infrastructure is refrigerated warehouse operations with multi-zone climate management, supported by CCOF organic certification (NOP and CCOF Client profile) and FSMA/GMP food safety certification.

The company's business model is sales-led and relationship-driven, selling to a mix of approximately 60% retail grocery (national chains, regional chains, and individual stores), 20% other distributors, 15% industrial food manufacturers (e.g., juice producers), and 5% foodservice/restaurant operators, across the United States and Canada. Distribution is executed via an owned truck fleet making daily Southern California deliveries plus warehouse-direct pickup for out-of-region buyers. The company is family-owned and operated, with second-generation CEO Rick Lejeune, and has remained independent with no disclosed external funding or parent company. Customer acquisition relies on word-of-mouth, industry conference presence (Organic Produce Summit, EcoFarm, Organicology), and direct relationships, while go-to-market emphasis is on long-standing grower and customer partnerships built on integrity since the company's founding in 1981.

Name

heath and lejeune

Legal name

Heath & Lejeune

Website

https://soullyorganic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Heath and Lejeune (Soully Organic) is a privately held, family-owned wholesale distributor of certified organic fresh produce founded in 1981 in Commerce, California, serving retail grocery, distributors, food manufacturers, and foodservice across the US and Canada from a multi-zone refrigerated warehouse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Organic Produce Distribution

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (424480), Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers (42449)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural & Organic Foods Distribution (CRAOABAH), Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK)

Keywords

• Wholesale produce distribution
• Organic produce supply
• Produce consolidation services
• Refrigerated warehouse storage
• Certified organic distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Commerce

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Organic Produce Sales: The company carries a complete line of Certified Organic fresh fruits and vegetables, including a growing number of Fair Trade offerings, and sells these directly to retailers, wholesalers, and other business customers across the US and Canada.
2. Consolidation and Cross-Docking Services: Produce is accumulated from various growing locations and combined at the company's Los Angeles warehouse for convenient shipping, saving customers time and expense. Multiple shipments from multiple sources are combined to maximize logistical efficiencies.
3. Storage Services: Premier organic produce shippers utilize the company's storage program to give customers easy access to their products. The modern warehouse with multiple temperature and humidity options handles product with care, facilitating easier access for vendors and customers loading in Southern California.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heath & Lejeune distributes a full line of certified organic fresh fruits and vegetables to retailers, distributors, foodservice operators, and food manufacturers across the US and Canada. From its 83,000 sq. ft. Commerce, CA warehouse, the company makes direct deliveries via its own truck fleet throughout Southern California, consolidates produce from multiple growing regions, and offers temperature- and humidity-controlled storage. The customer mix is approximately 60% retail grocery, 20% other distributors, 15% industrial food manufacturers, and 5% foodservice.

Product overview

Soully Organic (Heath & Lejeune) operates as a single unified wholesale produce distribution business offering three integrated service pillars: Wholesale (full-line certified organic fresh fruits and vegetables distribution), Consolidation (combining shipments from multiple sources to maximize logistical efficiency), and Storage (temperature-controlled warehousing with multiple zones). The company was founded in 1981 and distributes well over a million packages of organic produce annually, specializing in items like organic ginger root, turmeric, and papayas, with a customer mix of approximately 60% retail, 20% other distributors, 15% industrial users, and 5% food service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Agronegocios La GramacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006La Grama is a Peruvian company founded in 2006 by three former organic inspectors, dedicated to growing and exporting high quality organic produce sourced from smallholder farmers from biodiverse rainforest, the Andes, and coastal desert regions of Peru. The partnership includes a 12-month organic ginger import program, with Heath & Lejeune selling approximately 80% or more of all the ginger La Grama exports. The relationship includes direct visits by CEO Rick Lejeune and team members to farms in Peru to assess the new season's organic ginger. La Grama sets higher standards in traceability, food safety, organic oversight, and worker welfare.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Albert's Organics: One of the largest certified organic produce distributors in North America (UNFI subsidiary), serving retailers, foodservice, and manufacturers with full-line organic fruits and vegetables — the most direct comparable to Heath & Lejeune's wholesale organic model.
• Pacific Organic Produce: California-based organic produce distributor sourcing from West Coast growers and supplying retailers, wholesalers, and foodservice operators — directly comparable in geography, organic specialization, and customer mix.
• Veritable Vegetable: San Francisco Bay Area organic produce distributor serving retailers, restaurants, and institutions across California — closely comparable as a long-standing, mission-driven organic wholesale distributor.
• Organics Unlimited: Organic produce distributor (with banana-focused Grow program) supplying retailers and wholesalers across North America — comparable as a certified-organic-only wholesaler with grower relationships.

Broad incumbents

• FreshPoint: Sysco subsidiary and one of the largest specialty fresh produce distributors in North America; broader than a pure organic specialist but a direct competitor for retail and foodservice produce supply.
• Earthbound Farm: One of the largest organic produce growers and packaged salad producers in North America; a much larger incumbent in the same organic fresh category that competes for the same retailer shelf space and ingredient demand.
• Taylor Farms: Large vertically integrated fresh produce and prepared foods company supplying retail deli, foodservice, and industrial customers — overlapping in fresh produce distribution though broader in scope.
• Grimmway Farms: Major U.S. produce grower and shipper with a substantial organic program; competes with Heath & Lejeune in retail organic sourcing and customer relationships at a far larger scale.

Emerging players

• Wholesum Family Farms: Organic greenhouse and field-grown produce grower/distributor serving retail and foodservice channels — comparable in organic-only positioning and grower-to-customer distribution model.
• Misionero Vegetables: Organic leafy greens and specialty produce grower with national retail and foodservice distribution; comparable in certified-organic fresh produce supply, though grower-led rather than pure distributor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soully-organic-heath-and-lejeune

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 heath and lejeune