Oranfrizer joins the Unifrutti Group
Sicily, Italy-based Oranfrizer is joining Unifrutti Group, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Oranfrizer is a group of orange companies along the supply chain run by the Alba family with a solid presence in Italy for almost 60 years, as well as in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, according to a news release.
Unifrutti Group is a vertically integrated group of fresh fruit companies worldwide, handling production, marketing and distribution.
Unifrutti has 93 farms covering almost 34,600 acres, mainly in Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, South Africa and Italy. The group annually sells approximately 550,000 tons of fresh fruit to more than 500 customers.
The integration of Oranfrizer in the Unifrutti Group will allow Sicilian citrus productions to expand using Unifrutti’s worldwide network and support growth within the territory.
For Unifrutti, the acquisition is an opportunity to expand its product portfolio, including new highly distinctive orange cultivars: the blood oranges that originate in the Plain of Catania.
Unifrutti CEO Marco Venturelli sought the agreement between Oranfrizer and Unifrutti Group, which was signed on Oct. 28. Nello Alba maintains his role as CEO in Oranfrizer.
“Oranfrizer represents an important step in our continued growth and adds an internationally recognized asset to our portfolio,” Venturelli said in the release.
This agreement enables the blood orange to reach new destinations as well as strengthen its presence in the countries where it’s already been introduced.
“To grow abroad, and in Italy of course, we will strengthen our entire production chain,” Alba said.
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