Miami-based Fresh Del Monte Inc. and plant-based food supplier Vertage Inc. have launched a strategic partnership that aims to widen the reach of healthy and sustainable food options to consumers, according to a news release.
The partnership is part of Fresh Del Monte’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and healthy living and provides commercial opportunities for both companies, the company said in the release.
The produce giant will support the growth of Vertage by providing access to its production facilities, technology and logistics network through its inland logistics company, which includes Tricont Trucking and Tricont Logistics, the release said. Vertage will have access to distribution and transportation through the partnership, giving them the ability to expand into new markets by utilizing Tricont and Fresh Del Monte’s ships, ports and temperature-controlled warehouses strategically located throughout 34 facilities in North America. Fresh Del Monte also participated in the company’s latest fundraising round, the release said.
“Vertage shares our commitment to sustainable, healthy eating, and we’re excited for the possibilities this alliance will bring,” Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO at Fresh Del Monte, said in the release. “We’re always seeking to collaborate with brands that align with our mission and can leverage our multiple streams of business, such as our reliable logistics network.”
Fresh Del Monte continues to solidify its goal to optimize its underutilized assets and offer its resources to others, the release said. As consumer demand for clean-label, healthier products continue to rise, Vertage and Fresh Del Monte are well positioned to deliver products that are nutritious, convenient and affordable, the release said.
“Fresh Del Monte has an incredible legacy as a global leader in fresh, healthy eating and we are honored to partner with them,” Tim Wildin, CEO at Vertage, said in the release. “This partnership will allow us to expand our line of our clean-label, healthy foods to more people, more quickly, and more affordably than ever before.”
Vertage was founded by Chef Margaux Riccio, whose award-winning Washington, D.C.-area restaurants Bubbies and PowPow have allowed her to continuously experiment with a wide range of delicious foods made without the use of ingredients from animals, the release said. Restaurants have been key to the research and development of the very first Vertage products. Vertage cheeses are now served at notable restaurants in California (Crossroads Kitchen), New York (Unregular Pizza, Butcher’s Daughter) and the mid-Atlantic (Call Your Mother, Andy’s Pizza).
