San Antonio, July 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tomato industry leaders Lipman Family Farms and NatureSweet are joining forces to better serve customers and quick service restaurants by ensuring year‐round premium, high‐quality, high‐flavor slicing and salad tomatoes. NatureSweet brings to the table years of greenhouse growing expertise, while field grown tomato leader Lipman brings deep experience serving food service customers.
As the better burger, quick service and fast casual restaurant industry continues to grow in the United States, changing consumer taste demands high‐quality and exceptionally tasting ingredients, and Lipman Family Farms and NatureSweet help deliver on that promise.
“We’re pleased we’ll be able to assure a 52‐week supply of exceptional slicing and salad tomatoes to our valued clients,” said Lipman Family Farms CEO Kent Shoemaker. “NatureSweet is known for their successful snacking tomatoes and innovative packaging, and we’re glad to share our strengths and expertise in a partnership. Our goal is to bring the high flavor, high color, high density characteristics of our field grown Crimson variety to the greenhouse product we create with NatureSweet. Our food service customers need access to premium product on a year‐round basis. They also need greenhouse and field grown options.”
It’s a 100 percent joint venture between both companies with equal investments. The tomatoes will be cobranded and distributed under the Lipman name. “Lipman has mastered supplying and serving very large, demanding food service customers, and we’ve mastered growing at scale to produce responsibly grown greenhouse tomatoes,” said NatureSweet CEO Bryant Ambelang. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner as we’ll both be able to provide new value for our combined customers.”
This is a first‐of‐its kind initiative to bring together the biggest food service names and the industry‐leading tomato suppliers. The partnership is planned to launch in October 2018.
About Lipman Family Farms:
Lipman Family Farms is a full service tomato and vegetable company operating in both open field and protected agriculture. Lipman is the largest open field tomato grower in North America. Lipman’s seed to shelf supply chain control – research & development, farming, processing, repacking, logistics and marketing – delivers the consistency and quality that has made Lipman Family Farms North America’s most dependable source of fresh tomatoes and vegetables. Visit lipmanfamilyfarms.com for more information.
About NatureSweet®:
NatureSweet® Tomatoes is the leading grower of premium, branded, best‐tasting fresh tomatoes in North America. Always vine‐ripened and hand‐picked at the peak of freshness, only NatureSweet® tomatoes guarantee great taste all year round. NatureSweet® tomatoes are carefully grown, harvested and packaged by more than 9,000 full‐time Associates, and are sold at major grocers, mass retailers, club stores and food service operators in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Known for award‐winning quality and innovative packaging, NatureSweet® is also committed to having a positive social, environmental and economic impact on the communities in which they operate. NatureSweet Cherubs®, SunBursts®, Glorys®, Jubilees™, Eclipses™, Twilights™ and Constellation® are trademarks of NS Brands, Ltd. Visit www.naturesweet.com for more information.
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