Mastronardi Produce acquires New England greenhouse grower

Kingsville, Ont. – Mastronardi Produce Ltd. has acquired a grower of year-round greenhouse-grown tomatoes in New England.

Mastronardi made the announcement of its acquisition of Maine-based Backyard Farms in a statement today.

Mastronardi is a leading grower and distributor of specialty and commodity greenhouse produce that operates under the SUNSET brand.

In the statement, Mastronardi says it plans on keeping the Backyard Farms brand name and the operations in Madison, Maine will continue as they are.

Together both companies “will supply non-GMO verified tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers to the top food retailers in North America,” says the statement. Combined the companies will be better able to serve the Northeast US.

For Mastronardi, acquiring Backyard Farms increases its greenhouse locations to six and its employees to 3,000, says the statement. In total, Mastronardi “produces and delivers fresh, locally grown produce” from more than 4,000 acres.

“With Backyard Farms’ complementary capabilities, loyal and passionate customer base, growing footprint and enthusiasm for premium, vine-ripe tomatoes, we are excited for what our future holds together,” says Paul Mastronardi, the company’s president and CEO.

“We look forward to working alongside Stuart Jablon and his talented team as we continue serving customers the great produce they have come to expect from the familiar SUNSET and Backyard Farms brands.”

Backyard Farms was established 10 years ago and operates two greenhouses totalling 42 acres. The company’s “tomatoes on the vine, cocktail tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes appear on the shelves of grocery stores from Maine to Maryland,” says the statement.

Image: Mastronardi Produce