Veteran-Led Consortium Acquires 100% of GreenFruit Avocados via Ospraie-Backed Holding
A consortium led by industry veterans Scott Bauwens and Jamie Johnson, joined by ex-Mission Produce executive Jim Donovan and Spanish investor Tahuaycani, acquired 100% of California-based GreenFruit Avocados through newly formed holding firm Last Mile with financing from Ospraie Management. Bauwens will transition from Simpatica CEO to full-time GreenFruit chief executive, Donovan becomes executive chairman, and original owner Brian Gomez remains president of sales as the company plans to expand its ripening, cold storage and logistics network from Southern California and Texas into South America, Mexico and Europe.
1. Acquisition Details
A newly formed holding company called Last Mile, backed by Ospraie Management, acquired 100% of GreenFruit Avocados. The buyer group includes Scott Bauwens and Jamie Johnson of Simpatica, former Mission Produce executive Jim Donovan, and Spanish investment firm Tahuaycani.
2. Leadership Changes
Scott Bauwens will step down as CEO of Simpatica to serve as GreenFruit’s full-time chief executive. Jim Donovan, with 36 years at Mission Produce, has been named executive chairman, and original owner Brian Gomez continues as president of sales.
3. Expansion and Sourcing Plans
GreenFruit’s ripening, cold storage and logistics network currently serves Southern California, Texas, Chicago, Miami, Pennsylvania, Toronto and Vancouver. The company will maintain Mexico as a core sourcing base while expanding operations across South America, California, Mexico and Europe, leveraging Tahuaycani’s ties to Peru-based ACP Agro.
4. Industry Consolidation Context
The avocado supply sector is consolidating, following Mission Produce’s earlier $430 million acquisition of Calavo Growers. The GreenFruit transaction underscores growing investor interest in vertically integrated avocado supply chains.