Bushmans' Inc. acquires Market Fresh Produce

Potato grower-shipper Bushmans' Inc. is branching out into other commodities, including sweet potatoes, tomatoes and onions, with the recent purchase of Market Fresh Produce LLC, Nixa, Mo.

“We have, as a company, focused on potatoes,” said Mike Carter, chief executive officer of Bushmans’ Inc. “We’ve sold some other items, but with this, we have the opportunity to be a more full-scale organization with a much larger variety.”

Bushmans' has growing, packing and marketing facilities in Wisconsin, Florida, California, Ohio, Colorado and New Brunswick, Canada, all dedicated to potatoes. It is a partner in Discovery Garden’s LLC, a company it purchased half of in the fall of 2009.

Market Fresh specializes in potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet onions and tomatoes with supplier partnerships in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It works with those suppliers to manage product specifications, the Market Fresh brand and its packaging.

The companies plan to extend the Market Fresh brand name to Bushmans' potatoes, eventually making Market Fresh a primary brand name.