Total Produce buying 50 percent of Gambles Ontario
Total Produce buying 50 percent of Gambles Ontario
Total Produce PLC in Dublin, Ireland, has agreed to purchase a 50 percent share in Gambles Ontario Produce Inc., a Toronto-based distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables.
“This partnership with Total Produce will enable us to grow strategically to the benefit of our growers and customers,” Jeff Hughes, president at Gambles Produce, said in a press release. “We will continue to operate autonomously but will have the support of Total Produce and their global affiliations alongside us.”
Gambles Produce is a leading fresh produce distribution company that operates out of two facilities -- the Ontario Food Terminal Market and a 65,000-square-foot distribution center in Toronto, servicing independent retail, wholesale and foodservice operators throughout the province on a daily basis.
Total Produce handles over 200 lines of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers, distributing 300 million cartons annually of fresh produce to the retail, wholesale, foodservice and processing sectors across Europe and North America. It employs more than 4,000 people in over 100 locations across 20 different countries.
This acquisition continues to expand Total Produce’s North American reach. Its initial introduction to the North American market was in 2013, when it acquired shares in Vancouver-based Oppenheimer Group.
“We see this as a great opportunity for our team to continue to learn, develop and explore new opportunities to collaborate with other produce professionals around the world,” Tom Kioussis, vice president of sales, added in the press release. “This will provide our team with opportunities to share new and innovative best-in-class operating practices.”
It will be “business as usual,” according to Hughes of Gambles, who said the industry can expect the same high-quality experience they have always had with Gambles Produce.
“Our day-to-day interactions with our customers and growers will not change,” Hughes added in the press release. “We will remain the same Gambles that our friends in the industry know and enjoy doing business with. If anything, our relationships should only strengthen with new synergies we have with Total Produce.”