Hermiston, OR – River Point Farms, America’s largest onion producer, today announces that brothers Bob and Rick Hale have bought back control of River Point Farms. On August 15, 2013, the Hale brothers led an investment that also included new investor and strategic partner Taylor Farms as well as existing shareholder CIC Partners. The cooperative transaction closed making the Hale brothers once again controlling partners of River Point Farms. Bob and Rick Hale also own and operate Hale Farms; a 37 year old first generation diversified family farming operation.
“Rick and I are elated about this transaction for River Point Farms, which empowers us to make business decisions to reinvest quickly in new opportunities and react to market conditions and customer requests,” said Bob Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer.
River Point Farms and its sales team will remain focused on their foodservice program business, but also have plans to begin expanding their retail business solutions as well, working with strategic partner Curry and Company, Brooks, Oregon. The Hale brothers say they will invest in facilities and equipment for the operation, which includes plans for offering retail-ready products in discussion with strategic partner Taylor Farms, Salinas, California. According to Hale, the onion producer has several new strategic partnerships and affiliations which position them to expand their growing, production, packing, shipping and product offerings over the next several months.
River Point Farms is the largest red onion grower in the country, with 450 million pounds of overall onion volume each year. The onion producer has in-house growers with operations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California, with a national distribution to all 50 states and Canada.
“We want our customers to know that we remain fully committed to providing a very high standard of quality with our onions and with the service and supply that they have come to trust and rely on for their businesses,” Hale said. “As we look to the future, we see growth and opportunity for River Point Farms, our current customers and our potential customers with new and improved capabilities.”
About River Point Farms:
Headquartered in Hermiston, Oregon, River Point Farms is America’s largest grower, packer, shipper and processor of onions; including yellow, red, and sweet onions. River Point Farms is sourced based and fully integrated, offering a total solution for a diversified customer base. The company’s state-of-the-art growing and storage techniques ensure a year-round supply of whole, peeled and sliced onions to various foodservice, industrial ingredient and retail customers. River Point Farms controls the process from seed to shelf, providing the most consistent, reliable onion supply in the country. The company’s unique approach to crop planning takes into account the needs of the customer when designing production, enabling an unparalleled service offering. Learn more about River Point Farms by visiting www.riverpointfarms.com.
Source: River Point Farms
