Lipman Family Farms has acquired Farm Fresh, a fresh-cut fruit and vegetable operation based in Phoenix. The deal strengthens Lipman’s fresh-cut produce footprint in a fast-growing Southwest market. It also adds experienced local talent.
Immokalee, Florida-based Lipman ranks among North America’s leading fresh produce suppliers. The acquisition marks its latest step forward, according to a press release.
It also builds toward a coast-to-coast fresh-cut network. That network serves both retail and foodservice customers.
A Strategic Fit in Phoenix
Farm Fresh sits just a few miles from Lipman’s existing repack facility in Glendale, Arizona. That proximity matters, the release states.
The two operations will work together. Together, they give Lipman deeper coverage in a region where demand continues to climb.
Farm Fresh specializes in ready-to-eat produce. It offers customers customized, food-safe, and freshly cut fruits and vegetables.
For grocers and foodservice buyers alike, that combination promises tighter supply chains. It also means faster turnaround times.
Part of a Broader Western Expansion
This is not Lipman’s first move into the western U.S. this year. The company acquired Inland Premium Packers in Riverside, California, only months earlier.
Together, the two acquisitions signal a clear strategy. Lipman wants surety of supply. It also wants that supply close to its western partners.
Nationally, the company keeps growing. Meanwhile, it also expands its bench of fresh-cut expertise.
Consumer demand for convenience keeps rising across the produce aisle. Lipman appears determined to keep pace.
Related Article: Fresh Grocery Shopping Builds Trust for 91% of Buyers
Leadership Weighs In
Elyse Lipman, chief executive officer of Lipman Family Farms, framed the deal as part of a larger mission. That mission centers on reaching more customers.
“Investing in fresh-cuts in the Arizona region emphasizes our goal of supplying fresh produce solutions that are accessible to all,” Lipman said in the release.
Growth also requires “the right people in the right places that we can count on,” she added. Lipman credited the Farm Fresh team’s deep knowledge of fresh-cut distribution.
That focus on talent echoes a broader industry trend. Shoppers demand more prepped, ready-to-use produce every year.
As a result, suppliers increasingly compete on expertise as much as scale.
Building a National Fresh-Cut Network
Lipman’s fresh-cut operations now stretch from Mexico to Phoenix. The list also includes Northern California, Colorado, Portland and Texas. On the East Coast, the company runs facilities in Florida, North Carolina and New Jersey.
The Phoenix addition builds on Lipman’s vertically integrated model in the West. It also positions the company as a more reliable supplier.
Retail and foodservice operators depend on steady, year-round supply. That reliability matters most during peak demand.
Lipman has pursued this kind of expansion before. In 2024, the company acquired Northeast Produce, a Connecticut-based tomato distributor.
In 2018, Lipman acquired Huron Produce, an Ontario-based greenhouse grower.
Each move added new categories or regions to Lipman’s portfolio.
A Family Legacy in Fresh Produce
Founded and still led by the Lipman family, the company is headquartered in Immokalee. It stands as the largest family-owned field tomato grower in the United States, according to the release.
Lipman supplies both conventional and organic fruits and vegetables across North America. That scale gives the company unusual reach for a family business.
Fresh-cut demand keeps growing nationwide. Lipman’s Phoenix deal gives the company a stronger hold on one of the country’s fastest-growing produce markets.