As the better burger, quick service and fast casual restaurant industry continues to grow in the United States, changing consumer taste demands high‐quality and exceptionally tasting ingredients, and Lipman Family Farms and NatureSweet help deliver on that promise.
“We’re pleased we’ll be able to assure a 52‐week supply of exceptional slicing and salad tomatoes to our valued clients,” said Lipman Family Farms CEO Kent Shoemaker. “NatureSweet is known for their successful snacking tomatoes and innovative packaging, and we’re glad to share our strengths and expertise in a partnership. Our goal is to bring the high flavor, high color, high density characteristics of our field grown Crimson variety to the greenhouse product we create with NatureSweet. Our food service customers need access to premium product on a year‐round basis. They also need greenhouse and field grown options.”
It’s a 100 percent joint venture between both companies with equal investments. The tomatoes will be cobranded and distributed under the Lipman name. “Lipman has mastered supplying and serving very large, demanding food service customers, and we’ve mastered growing at scale to produce responsibly grown greenhouse tomatoes,” said NatureSweet CEO Bryant Ambelang. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner as we’ll both be able to provide new value for our combined customers.”
This is a first‐of‐its kind initiative to bring together the biggest food service names and the industry‐leading tomato suppliers. The partnership is planned to launch in October 2018.