Perricone Farms Acquires Natalie’s Orchard Island Juice Company
Perricone Farms, a premium craft juice company with deep roots in California’s citrus industry, has acquired Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, an award-winning juice company based in Fort Pierce, Fla. The merger unites two of the highest quality and most trusted names in the juice industry, strengthens both brands, and enhances the ability to serve customers with excellence in quality and customer service coast-to-coast.
The combined company will be able to take advantage of bi-coastal production facilities, improve its delivery capabilities, expand product offerings, and leverage its additional scale to ensure juices reach customers with the same uncompromising quality they have come to know and love.
“We are excited to add Natalie’s to the Perricone Farms family. Natalie’s commitment to producing the highest quality products, combined with unmatched customer service, aligns with the core values we have been providing in the marketplace for years. Working together, we will be stronger and will be able to provide greater value to our customers,” said Bob Rovzar, CEO of Perricone Farms. “This exciting merger offers new opportunities for growth and expansion, including entrance into new markets, developing innovative products, and strengthening relationships with customers, suppliers, vendors, and partners. Together, Perricone Farms and Natalie’s are now better equipped to ensure the continued success and growth of both brands.”
Over the decades, Perricone Farms and Natalie’s Juices have become industry experts at procuring and producing the highest quality juices. By unifying these two entities, we strengthen our undisputed reputation for being the best premium juice provider in the food service and retail channel.
“The impressive growth that has driven the success behind the Natalie’s brand for the past 35 years has been built on the brand loyalty and relationships we have established with our customers and consumers. We are forever grateful for the opportunity to serve them with the nation’s best-tasting juice—not because it was our job, but because we loved doing it,” said Natalie’s CEO, Marygrace Sexton, who founded the award-winning juice company, named after her daughter, over 35 years ago. “We are excited for the future and the opportunities this partnership will provide our cherished Natalie’s family. Natalie’s has been built to last and will be providing you with authentic juices on a world-wide scale for generations to come.”
With the foundations for both companies built on a shared vision and values that have existed for generations, the combined company will remain devoted to a legacy that has been rooted in tradition and a commitment to exceeding expectations in quality and customer service.
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Cal-Maine Foods Invests in Egg Product Maker Crepini
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. has completed a strategic investment with Crepini LLC, establishing a new egg products and prepared foods joint venture. Crepini LLC, founded in 2007, has grown its brand throughout the United States and Mexico featuring egg wraps, protein pancakes, crepes, and wrap-ups, which are now sold online and in over 3,500 retail stores.
The new entity, located in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., will operate as Crepini Foods LLC. Cal-Maine Foods will capitalize Crepini with approximately $6.75 million in cash to purchase additional equipment and other assets and fund working capital in exchange for a 51 percent interest in the new venture. Crepini LLC will contribute its existing assets and business in exchange for a 49 percent interest in the new venture.
Commenting on the announcement, Sherman Miller, president and chief executive officer of Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., stated, “We are pleased to announce our strategic investment in Crepini, which aligns with our growth strategy to enhance our product portfolio and focus on value-added products and other egg product opportunities. We have a unique opportunity to leverage the established Crepini brand of quality products and extend our market reach to major retailers across the country. This new venture will complement our other egg product offerings from our growing Meadowcreek operation, which offers hard-cooked eggs for institutional, food service and retail needs.
“As consumer demand for affordable protein options, including egg products, continues to grow, Cal-Maine Foods is well positioned to meet this demand. We have a proven ability to derive value from our other strategic investments and believe there are significant opportunities to use our scale and established customer relationships to further expand our egg products business. We look forward to working with the Crepini team as we extend our leadership role in supporting the nation’s food supply with a differentiated product mix.”
“The Crepini team is looking forward to expanding our brand and offerings. We are excited to join the Cal-Maine Foods family, whose leadership team shares our values and approach to excellence,” said Paula Rimer Shkolnik, chief executive officer of Crepini LLC. “This partnership will allow us to make our products available to more national and international customers and continue to provide innovations in the egg specialty products category.”
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. is primarily engaged in the production, grading, packaging, marketing and distribution of fresh shell eggs, including conventional, cage-free, organic, brown, free-range, pasture-raised and nutritionally enhanced eggs. The company, which is headquartered in Ridgeland, Miss., is the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the nation and sells most of its shell eggs throughout the majority of the United States.
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Scottsdale Cirque du Chilî Benefits Developmentally Disabled Adults
The Scully Learning Center Foundation will host the first Cirque du Chilî on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 4-8 p.m. at The Holland Center, which is located at 34250 N. 60th St. in Scottsdale, Ariz. The dedicated Cave Creek, Ariz.,-based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization works to enrich the lives of developmentally disabled adults in the desert foothills area.
Cirque du Chilî is a community event created to raise awareness of critical unmet needs faced by developmentally disabled adults and teenagers within the desert foothills community. This family-oriented event will showcase the community agencies, resources and support available to developmentally disabled adults and teenagers as well as raise funds to meet these needs.
According to Brady Dalton, event chair, Cirque du Chilî will feature 13 carnival games and prizes, chili tastings and informational booths with developmental disability community experts. Local chefs, community leaders and citizens will compete for the “Hottest Chef in Desert Foothills” title.
Cirque du Chilî will be joined by the following community partners/sponsors: Tonto Bar & Grill, Harold’s Corral, The Horny Toad, Tailgaters/El Primo, Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical, The Saloon, Indian Village, Athens on Easy Street, Area Agency of Aging, Arion Care, Department of Economic Security, Totten Fulton Rizzo, Kathryn Bradley, PC and Absolute HCBS, among others.
“There is an invisible population within the Phoenix housing crisis,” says Maureen Casey of First Place Global Leadership (2023).”Specifically, there are at least 159,000 people in Arizona who have an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). Approximately 77 percent of those with IDD in Arizona live with their aging families. Of that, about 27 percent live with a caregiver over the age of 60. This invisible population is going to need housing and support in place as their families’ transition, perhaps due to their own needs for nursing care or death. Without immediate action, the ‘invisible’ housing crisis currently faced by adults with IDD and their families risks becoming a full-blown emergency with widespread, lasting consequences.
Admission is free. Chili tastings are $2 per taste or $20 for unlimited tastings. Beer from local breweries will be available for $5 and wine from local wineries for $10. Donations, which are tax-deductible, will be accepted. All proceeds go to the Preserving Families building fund.
For more information or to enter a chili dish to compete in the “Hottest Chef in the Desert Foothills” contest, visit scullylearningcenter.com or contact Scully Learning Center at info@scullylearningcenter.com.
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