Mission produce acquires Calavo Growers

Tropical fruit supplier Mission Produce Mission Produce has announced the completion of its acquisition of Calavo Growers, a provider of fresh avocados, tomatoes, papayas, and value-added prepared foods such as guacamole.

This acquisition unites two of North America’s most established avocado companies and builds on Mission’s position as a leader in the global fresh produce trade. The addition of Calavo further strengthens Mission’s vertically integrated global network, enhancing sourcing and packing capabilities, improving asset utilisation across the network, broadening its reach across complementary fresh produce categories, and accelerating its entry into the high-margin, high-growth prepared foods segment, the company said in a release. As a result, Mission expects to deliver more comprehensive, end-to-end service with greater supply reliability, flexibility, and enhanced scale to drive innovation across the global fresh produce industry.

“Today marks a significant milestone for our company and for our industry,” said John Pawlowski, Mission Produce CEO. “The successful completion of this transaction reflects our commitment to building a stronger, more diversified company – one that is well positioned to meet the growing demand for fresh, healthy and convenient foods. Mission’s vertically integrated platform, combined with Calavo’s sourcing capabilities, value-added offerings, and deep customer relationships, gives us the scale and the operational foundation to deliver greater value across the supply chain, including opportunities to capture additional integration benefits over time. We are focused on executing with discipline, integrating thoughtfully, and continuing to serve our customers at the highest level. We are proud to welcome the Calavo team into the Mission family and believe together, we will deliver enhanced value for our customers, growers, partners, and shareholders.”

With the transaction complete, Calavo is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Mission. B. John Lindeman, former president and CEO of Calavo, will continue to lead the Calavo business during a transition period reporting to Pawlowski.

“For more than a century, Calavo has built its business on trusted relationships with our growers, customers, and communities across North America, and that foundation remains firmly in place as we begin this next chapter with Mission,” said Lindeman. “By joining Mission, our team has access to a world-class global network, strengthening our ability to serve our partners with greater reach, reliability, and innovation. I am incredibly proud of what generations of employees here at Calavo have built, and confident that together with Mission, we will continue to grow that legacy in the years ahead.”