Longtime Family Farming Firm Files For Bankruptcy

Boynton Beach-based DuBois & Son has filed for bankruptcy. A staple in Palm Beach County ag since the 1930s, the DuBois family operation was said to be the nation’s largest pepper grower in the 1980s. The company produced cucumbers, squash, and eggplants for markets in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It was especially known for its hand-picked and hand-packed bell peppers. As recently as 2004, the company produced 2.5 million boxes of produce from 1,000 acres in southern Palm Beach County.

According to reports, the Chapter 7 bankruptcy case filed last week lists a total of $27.3 million in liabilities and $627,616 in assets, consisting of trucks, various equipment, and machinery. The liquidation-type bankruptcy indicates the company will cease operations.

In 2003, an enterprise called DuBois Farms, owned by Robert DuBois Sr. and his brother William DuBois, was dissolved. Robert DuBois Sr. and Robert DuBois Jr. then formed DuBois & Son LLC, which employed about 300 people during the winter season. Robert Sr., 68, died this past September.

Source: Palm Beach Post