Company Consolidates Berry Branding Under Sun Belle
REEDLEY, CA – Frutura announced a new berry division to be led by that division’s new CEO, JC Clinard. As well as the rebranding of all Frutura berry assets as Sun Belle, including the renaming of Frutura’s berry operations in Mexico. The move to adopt Sun Belle for berries company-wide, reflects the brand’s global power and a desire to make the customer experience seamless and uncomplicated, moving toward surety-of-supply.
“The companies in our platform are operating well, thanks to their strong in-country management, allowing us to shift a bit of attention to berries which has been of keen interest to me since Day One,” said David Krause, Frutura’s CEO. “Our emphasis on berries aligns with massive consumer interest and thus, our customers’ needs, which remains Frutura’s North Star.”
Krause indicated that the company’s berry focus has been powered in 3 ways:
Via Frutura’s acquisition of Sun Belle and Giddings;
Through the experience and wisdom that Sun Belle’s CEO Janice Honigberg, has brought and will continue to bring to Frutura’s berry strategy. And by the strong leadership of Patricio Cortés, who runs Frutura’s business in Mexico, now operating as Sun Belle Mexico.
Having JC head the company’s berry business is the third and final lynchpin, as Frutura moves to be an ever-more-significant berry supplier.
Clinard has had broad exposure to a number of Frutura’s most important crops, and a breadth of knowledge in the berry sector. Before Frutura, JC spent nearly two decades at Florida-headquartered Wish Farms, an important global berry supplier.
“The chance at Frutura felt like a once-in-a-career opportunity. I’m fortunate to join an already-successful company and to build on their track record of innovation, discipline and entrepreneurship that seems to be baked into Frutura’s ethos.”
Frutura’s priorities include optimizing Sun Belle into a truly vertically-integrated operation; looking for investment opportunities in berry genetics both through Frutura’s research and development business, Black Venture Farms, as well as through 3rd party genetic assets. Adding a mid-sized strawberry operation to round out the company’s 52-week a year berry portfolio is also highly desirable.
“I think berry growers are some of the best farmers in the world,” added Clinard. “Berries are highly perishable and delicate, demanding a compressed timeline from field to consumer, which requires passionate growers willing to make sacrifices and take big risks. Only those of us who love the berry sector can survive it! Today’s genetics continue to drive better quality and higher demand. It’s a great time to be in berries. We’re ready to level up in every way to optimally serve our customers.”
About Frutura
Frutura is a global sales and marketing platform committed to supplying international customers with premium fruit, 365 days a year. The company’s growers and marketers consistently deliver produce of the highest quality, demonstrate operational excellence and share Frutura’s core values around social and environmental performance. www.fruturaproduce.com
