Al Harrison files Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Al Harrison files Chapter 7 bankruptcy
A longtime leader in North America’s watermelon industry has declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
The voluntary petition filed June 9 in Tucson, AZ, at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of Arizona indicates that Al Harrison Co. Distributors, based in Nogales, has declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Court documents indicate that Harrison owes between $1 million and $10 million. The firm’s assets are indicated to be between $50,000 and $100,000.
Other court documents list 109 creditors. Among other types of businesses, Harrison creditors are seed companies, packaging suppliers, other Nogales produce distributors, trucking companies and growers. A creditors meeting is scheduled for July 16 at 11 a.m. in Tucson’s James A. Walsh Courthouse.
The attorney representing Al Harrison in this case is R. David Sobel.
Brent Harrison, the principal of Al Harrison Co. Distributors, runs the firm that was launched by his grandfather. Harrison was not immediately available for comment.
The Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing follows an April 9 announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that Al Harrison Co. had been cited for failure to pay for produce.
In April, The Produce News reported that USDA’s Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act charged Al Harrison with failing to pay $690,537 to 12 sellers for 104 lots of produce.
In April, PACA indicated, “As a result of these actions, Al Harrison Company Distributors cannot operate in the produce industry until March 24, 2017, at which time it may reapply for a PACA license.”
In April Harrison told The Produce News, “Due to circumstance beyond our control it is painful to see my grandfather’s business go through the USDA decision. The company has been in business for 55 years and we simply had some bad seasons that put us in this position. It is my intention to work through this process and build my family’s legacy again. I have always and will continue to support our industry and advocate for its success. It is my intention to return to the industry once my obligations are satisfied.”