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PMA, United Fresh End Merger Discussions

The Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association have announced that the organizations are ending any further discussion of potential merger at this time, but will continue to cooperate in areas of mutual interest to each association’s members.

A joint exploratory group of six Board members from each association met together twice in the last six months, in March and July, to explore potential areas of common interest and collaboration. During those meetings, the two groups expressed a variety of views on the potential value of merger or some formal structural collaboration, and discussed candidly the pros and cons from each Board’s perspective.
Following the July meeting, each association agreed to make a determination of whether to continue talks on potential merger, or suspend further consideration. Although the two Boards did not come to an agreement on proceeding with further discussion, both expressed their commitment to working together on common issues in a spirit of allied industry partnership, while recognizing that each organization has its unique views about its mission and mandate in serving the industry.
“United Fresh has long been committed to being the strongest possible association advocate and essential expert resource for our industry,” said United Fresh Chairman Emanuel Lazopoulos, Del Monte Fresh Produce. “We have built an association environment in which all sectors throughout the supply chain can come together as real partners to develop solutions that best meet industry needs. That mission has driven strong annual growth in new membership, revenues, expertise and services now for many years, with expanded programs such as our new crisis management/recall training program just announced.”
One of our core values at United Fresh is to always be open to partnerships and cooperative relations that might best serve our industry, and thus we’ll continue to work with PMA and other allied partners in areas of mutual interest. But United Fresh will also continue to grow our unique expertise and services to the fresh produce industry, providing an essential value to produce companies, retail and foodservice partners, and allied suppliers across the total supply chain,” he concluded.