CEO David Krause tells Fruitnet about the company’s decision to consolidate its group-wide berry branding under the Sun Belle name
Frutura has consolidated its group-wide berry business under a new division as it seeks to drive its expansion of the category in response to growing global demand. The company has renamed its berry operations in Mexico and adopted the Sun Belle brand across the business, which will be headed up by new CEO JC Clinard.
“The companies in our platform are operating well, thanks to their strong in-country management, allowing us to shift a bit of attention to berries which has been of keen interest to me since day one. Our emphasis on berries aligns with massive consumer interest and thus, our customers’ needs, which remains Frutura’s North Star,” Frutura CEO David Krause told Fruitnet.
“The Sun Belle brand is perhaps the most well-known brand in the Frutura family of companies. Our intent is just to make it easier for the customer by linking our berry interests under one common name and brand that has credibility not only with the trade, but also with consumers.”
Since making its move into the berry and cherry categories with the double acquisition of Sun Belle and Giddings in October 2023, Frutura has made no secret of its wish to focus on these and other high-value crops as the business continues to grow.
Krause believes that Clinard, together with Sun Belle CEO Janice Honigberg and Patricio Cortés, who runs Frutura’s berry business in Mexico, are the ideal team to power the company’s berry expansion. Clinard has extensive knowledge in the berry sector, having spent nearly two decades at Florida-headquartered Wish Farms before joining Frutura.
In the short term, Frutura’s berry focus will be on making Sun Belle a truly vertically-integrated operation and strengthening the company’s strawberry business with the acquisition of a mid-sized grower.
The company is also looking to beef up its berry genetics through its research and development subsidiary, Black Venture Farms, as well as through third party breeding programmes.
“The whole race in the berry category is how to get better genetics and better varieties that better satisfy consumers’ eating experience – the way to grow the whole berry category is to continue to deliver better quality fruit,” Krause told Fruitnet.
“Black Venture Farms’ strength is in blackberries and raspberries – our breeding in blueberries and strawberries is currently much less. That’s something we are looking to level up, but there are also other goods genetics providers out there.”
Clinard added: “Today’s genetics continue to drive better quality and higher demand. It’s a great time to be in berries. We’re ready to level up in every way to optimally serve our customers”.
While Frutura’s initial priority is the North American market, the company’s ambitions don’t end there. “We are looking globally, in terms of sales, but also sourcing,” Krause said. “We know that we need to source from every potential location to fill gaps in supply and deliver the best possible quality to the customer every week of the year, so that means we’ve got to be everywhere.”
