Fresh Del Monte Produce divests Mann Packing assets

Fresh Del Monte Produce is selling key assets from its Mann Packing business to Church Brothers Farms, a Salinas, California-based provider of value-added vegetables and leafy greens.

Church Brothers Farms will assume operations at Mann Packing’s state-of-the-art facility in Gonzales, California, according to a news release.

The move will allow Fresh Del Monte to concentrate on high-growth fruit and fresh-cut products while enhancing operational efficiency, according to the release.

“This is a complementary move that positions both organizations for success,” Fresh Del Monte chair and CEO Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh said in the release. “Church Brothers brings deep vegetable expertise and a strong production footprint, making them the ideal home for Mann Packing and its legacy of innovation. For Fresh Del Monte, this transaction allows us to concentrate fully on our core products and higher-margin, value-added segments — areas where we continue to deliver the quality, reliability and innovation our customers expect.”

The acquisition will allow Church Brothers to serve foodservice and retail markets more comprehensively, the company said.

“As industry leaders in farming, harvesting, processing and marketing premium vegetables, we are honored to steward Mann Packing’s legacy in the Salinas Valley,” Church Brothers Farms CEO Brian Church said. “This transition marks a pivotal step in our growth journey, reinforcing our commitment to category leadership and accelerating our strategic expansion into retail.”

Mann’s products include chopped and air fryer veggie kits, P.F. Chang’s salad kits and veggie trays. The company was acquired by Fresh Del Monte in 2018.