GrubMarket Acquires Coast Citrus Distributors, a Major Provider of Tropical Produce in the U.S.

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Jun 24, 2025, 08:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GrubMarket, the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally, today announced it has completed the acquisition of San Diego, CA-based Coast Citrus Distributors, a preeminent national distributor specializing in tropical fruits, including a wide variety of mangos; specialty root vegetables; chili peppers; limes; and a wide variety of other produce items sourced from Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, as well as the United States. Coast Citrus Distributors' subsidiary companies, such as the well-known Coast Tropical and Olympic Fruit and Vegetable Distribution businesses, have also joined GrubMarket as part of this acquisition. This marks the largest acquisition completed by GrubMarket to date.

Founded in 1950 by Roberto Alvarez on the simple principle of providing customers with the best products at the best price with the best service, Coast Citrus Distributors has grown over the past 75 years into a major produce importer and shipper with nationwide reach, doing hundreds of millions of dollars in annual sales. Its strategic locations include an 80,000 square foot facility in San Diego, a 220,000 square foot facility in McAllen, Texas, and an 85,000 square foot facility in Union City, California, plus major warehouses in Los Angeles and Princeton, Florida. These sites offer state of the art ripening and packing capabilities, allowing Coast Citrus Distributors to meet any kind of customer specifications and packaging needs. Coast Citrus Distributors also maintains strict compliance with top standards for food safety, workplace safety and business ethics, with PrimusGFS certification and SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit). Its locations in key import hubs enable the company to effectively manage a thriving year-round import business that provides consistent, uninterrupted supply to customers. Coast Citrus Distributors also owns and operates a fleet of over 90 trucks, providing direct customer delivery throughout the West Coast.

After decades of shared growth, Coast Citrus Distributors has built strong, and in many cases exclusive, relationships with its most important growers, ensuring reliable access to top quality product. With its customers, the company has, since the beginning, maintained a commitment to delivering superior quality, service, and prices without sacrificing honesty, which has helped it forge deeply loyal relationships, many spanning over 30 years. Its extensive customer base includes major national retailers, such as Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, Albertsons, Publix, and Sprouts, as well as hundreds of independent grocers and food service providers.

Isabel Freeland, President and CEO of Coast Citrus Distributors, said: "Joining GrubMarket marks an exciting new chapter for Coast Citrus Distributors. We are proud of the tremendous growth we have seen over the years, while always maintaining the highest level of operational excellence driven by our employees' 'ownership mentality,' where everyone operates like a business owner, day in and day out. GrubMarket's commitment to AI technology and innovation aligns perfectly with our vision to continue to elevate our capabilities, strengthen customer relationships, and drive future growth through technology integration. We look forward to incredible opportunities ahead as part of the GrubMarket family."

Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket, added: "We are thrilled to welcome Coast Citrus Distributors to the GrubMarket family. Their exceptional reputation in tropical and other unique commodities, extensive grower partnerships, and strategic presence throughout the U.S. significantly enhance our capabilities to provide high-quality produce to our customers nationwide, year-round. This acquisition is, so far, the largest acquisition in the history of GrubMarket. Coast Citrus Distributors perfectly complements our business and aligns with our plans for strategic growth across North America."

After the acquisition, the business will continue to be managed by its experienced leadership team, ensuring continuity and ongoing operational excellence.

As part of GrubMarket's portfolio, Coast Citrus Distributors will have access to GrubMarket's proprietary, AI-powered software solutions, including; WholesaleWare, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) ERP platform that provides food industry wholesalers, distributors, and shippers with seamless financial management, powerful sales support, precise inventory management, lot traceability, grower accounting, and automated routing and logistics; GrubAssist AI, GrubMarket's groundbreaking suite of agentic enterprise AI assistants that empower food supply chain businesses with deep insights, intelligent analysis, and automated order processing; Orders IO, GrubMarket's custom-branded, mobile and online ordering eCommerce solution; and GrubPay, the company's digital payments platform specifically designed for the needs of the food supply chain industry.

About GrubMarket

GrubMarket is the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally. As the enterprise AI solutions provider for the American food supply chain, a first mover in the tech-enabled B2B food eCommerce space, and a pioneer offering cutting-edge, AI-powered software-as-a-service solutions, GrubMarket uses technology to fundamentally transform the American and global food supply chain. GrubMarket has been named to the prestigious CNBC Disruptor 50 list for three consecutive years. GrubMarket operates in all 50 U.S. states and has a global presence in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, with plans to expand further across the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world.