Longtime Cranberry Grower/Processor Purchased
April 22, 2011 A century-old California company, Mariani Packing, has purchased a well-known Wisconsin cranberry grower/processor, Urban Processing, LLC.
Mariani is the nation’s largest independent dried fruit packer, and now with the acquisition of Urban Processing, is the only company to be vertically integrated in the three largest segments of the dried fruit industry, CEO Mark Mariani states in a press release. With more than 80% of the U.S.’s dried fruit consumption being in raisins, prunes, and cranberries, Mariani Packing will be the only company to deliver all three products from farm to plate, he adds.
“There could be no better time to make this investment,” says Mariani President George Sousa Jr. “There has been tremendous growth of dried cranberries in the last 10 years; in fact, they are now the second segment to raisins in total category sales. With 60% of cranberries coming from Wisconsin, Mariani’s decision to purchase the processing facility in Wisconsin positions us to truly be leaders in the marketplace.”
“Dried cranberries are a ‘healthy, good for you’ snack alternative with so many versatile applications in home-baking ingredients, cereal, and salad toppings to name a few,” adds Marketing Director Miranda Ackerman. “It’s no wonder dried cranberries are the fastest growing segment within the category.”
Cranberries are not a new item for Mariani, which is located in Vacaville, CA. In fact, Mariani is the second-leading brand of cranberries, and cranberries are the best selling item in the company’s vast retail product line. Urban Processing is a family-owned company that has been growing and processing cranberries in Wisconsin Rapids for many years. With the growth of cranberries over the last two decades, Wisconsin has become the largest cranberry producing state in the U.S., accounting for more than 400 million pounds of a near-700 million pound annual crop.
The decision to invest in another family-run company should come as no surprise, says Mariani. “As a family we’ve had the opportunity to know the Urbans for several years,” he says. “They have enormous integrity as a family, in the way they’ve run Urban Processing, and in their business relationships. They’ve brought the strictest standards to their facility and we are fortunate to carry on their legacy.”
“The family’s decision to make this investment in cranberries is exciting in many ways,” he adds. “But most importantly being the only company to complete the full cycle from purchasing to processing to packaging with the three top commodities — raisins, prunes, and cranberries, we have a real competitive advantage that will allow us to better serve our brand, private label, ingredient, and international customers, with quality products our customers can trust.”
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