Fresh Express, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands International Inc, has acquired privately held Verdelli Farms, a regional processor of salads, vegetables, and fruit snacks on the East Coast of the United States. The company, which markets its products under the Harvest Select and Verdelli Farms brands, operates in 10 states from Massachusetts to Virginia. Verdelli Farms will be integrated into Chiquita's Fresh Express unit.
Through this acquisition of Verdelli Farms' manufacturing capabilities and distribution capacity, Fresh Express will be able to expand its share in the Northeast from about 30 percent and gain a platform for growth in this region.
Harrisburg PA-based Verdelli Farms is a third-generation, family-owned business founded in 1924. The company employs approximately 400 people and has annual revenues of about $80 million. In 2006, it produced more than 8 million cases of fresh salads, vegetables, and fruit snacks for more than 80 customers in 10 states from Massachusetts to Virginia.
