IMG Citrus acquires farmland and new cold storage facility in Florida

IMG Citrus, a Vero Beach, Fla.-based integrated fresh citrus company, is acquiring J&J Fresh Produce assets located in Vero Beach.

The purchase includes a new 185,000-square-foot cold storage and packaging facility along with 1,000 acres of farmland in the Delta Farms water district of Florida, according to a news release.

"This is an exciting acquisition and a key component of our growth strategy," Melanie Ressler, co-CEO of IMG Enterprises — the parent company of IMG Citrus, said in the release. "We have been replanting citrus in Florida for the past decade while developing a summer citrus import program with strategic partners in South America. We have outgrown our existing facilities, and this acquisition will allow us to continue our growth trajectory while significantly strengthening our supply chain and logistics capabilities." 

The facility is between Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike, a few hours north of Port Everglades and the Port of Miami. The new facility will support IMG Citrus' supply chain integration with over 3,000 pallet positions, state-of-the-art refrigeration technology, 20 dock doors and space for additional expansion.

Strategic growth through expansion and imports

"We are more than a grower. We are a strategic partner for retailers, wholesalers, importers and exporters who want to work with Florida and access the Southeast markets with the most efficient cost structure and the shortest transit time to market," Ressler said in the release. "This facility allows us to reduce costs, food miles and increase freshness for our partners."

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Despite challenges facing the Florida citrus industry in recent years, IMG Citrus has made significant acquisitions, including the 4,000-acre Happy Food citrus grove in 2019 and the 2,500-acre Imagine grove in 2021, according to the release.

"We are passionate about Florida citrus," Ressler said in the release. "Florida produces the best-tasting grapefruit in the world, and our customers are passionate about the product. This is what gives us the confidence to invest in challenging times."

In addition to doubling down on its commitment to Florida citrus, IMG Citrus has embraced a year-round citrus strategy by developing imports from South America.

"Our customers want citrus year-round, and they trust us to provide solutions in this category," Ressler said in the release. "We saw an opportunity to meet their needs and utilize our packing house and cold storage facilities in the summer with imported fruit from Peru and Chile."

The growth of IMG Citrus' import business, which started in 2017, has exceeded 1.1 million cartons per year and is expected to continue to grow as the company expands its cold storage capacity and distribution capabilities, according to the release.

"We are excited about the potential for this new facility to support our growth and strengthen our position as a leading provider of fresh citrus," Ressler said in the release. "We are committed to delivering the highest quality products to our customers and this acquisition allows us to continue to do so."

Citrus under protective screens

In 2021, IMG Citrus planted its first Citrus Under Protective Screen project, a controlled environment that allows growers to produce in a citrus greening-free environment. CUPS offers several additional benefits, including reduced wind scarring, vigorous tree growth, large fruit size and opportunities for automation in production and harvesting, according to the release.

"We are encouraged by what we are seeing from our trees in CUPS, and we plan to expand the CUPS program over the coming years to further increase supply and diversify production risk," Ressler said in the release.

Currently, most of IMG Citrus' 11,000 citrus production acres are in traditional open-air groves. To improve and maintains these groves, IMG Citrus has adopted innovative production practices such as tree protector bags, irrigation automation, intelligent sprayers, cover crops, composting, beneficial microbes and the reduction of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals.

These practices, along with an aggressive planting program of over 100,000 trees per year, have allowed IMG Citrus to maintain profitable yields and continue to supply markets with Florida citrus, according to the release.