Produce distribution company Greenberg Fruit Co. has joined FreshEdge, a family of fresh food distribution companies backed by Chicago-based private-equity firm Wind Point Partners. Since 1936, Greenberg has been serving customers throughout Nebraska and western Iowa. Its offerings include various fresh-cut items under its processing brand, Professor Fresh.
The acquisition strengthens FreshEdge’s goal of becoming the foremost family of best-in-class fresh food companies by growing its geographic reach, optimizing its supply chain network, and providing more space and logistical support to better serve its customer base. The company currently operates more than 1.12 million square feet of warehouse space across 29 facilities, with a fleet of 1,041 trucks.
“Greenberg Fruit Co. will be an amazing addition to our growing family of customer-obsessed companies,” said Steve Grinstead, CEO of Indianapolis-based FreshEdge. “We share the same company values centered around quality, service and making our customers the No. 1 priority.”
“We look forward to working together with the great team at Greenberg Fruit Co. to continue to provide unprecedented service to all FreshEdge customers,” added FreshEdge President and COO Greg Corsaro.
“We are thrilled to be joining FreshEdge and are looking forward to this new era of growth and success for Greenberg Fruit Co.,” noted Brent Bielski, COO of Omaha, Neb.-based Greenberg Fruit Co. “We strongly believe in the power of synergy and are eager to begin working alongside this remarkable family of companies to create new opportunities for our customers.”
FreshEdge was established in 2019 with the combination of Indianapolis Fruit and Piazza Produce, in Indianapolis, and Get Fresh Produce in Bartlett, Ill. Since then, various other distribution companies and their respective value-added operations have joined the FreshEdge organization, growing it into a super-regional leader in the fresh food industry with a focus on fresh produce and specialty food items. FreshEdge’s footprint encompasses 22 states throughout the Midwest and southeastern United States. Greenberg Fruit Co. is FreshEdge’s fourth acquisition since Wind Point’s initial investment in 2022. This past July, FreshEdge acquired Sirna & Sons, a Ohio-based family-run wholesale food distributor, and its value-added operation, Christine’s Cuts, a kosher and Primus GFS-certified in-house produce-processing facility.