GrubMarket has completed its acquisition of Salisbury, North Carolina-based Performance Produce, a vertically integrated fresh produce business that sells more than 80 different items to about 100 different retail customers across the Southeastern U.S.
In addition to wholesale distribution, Performance Produce also provides comprehensive 4PL services, including inbound and outbound logistics, warehousing and cold storage, as well as packing and repacking solutions.
Performance Produce was founded in 2007 by JR Roach, a fresh produce veteran with about 50 years of experience in the industry, alongside his wife Virginia. Together, they started the business from scratch with an empty warehouse, toiling for 16 hours a day, seven days a week, driving forklifts, unloading trucks and packing produce themselves.
Today, Performance Produce employs dozens of associates and operates a Primus GFS-certified warehouse facility that spans 40,000 square feet in space, including four temperature-controlled coolers and several wrapping, labeling, bagging and packing machines for its 4PL service offerings. Its operations and supplier base of more than 100 local and regional farmers enables the company to offer a consistent supply of specialty foods and core items, including onions, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and other assorted fruits and vegetables.
Performance Produce’s reliability and attention to customer service have allowed it to achieve a 99 percent fulfillment delivery rate. After the acquisition, the company will continue to be managed by its current leadership team.
“I started my career in the produce industry in 1977 and have experience working across every aspect of the business. My wife and I had always dreamed of running our own business, and we worked hard to build Performance Produce into the successful company you see today,” Roach said.
“Our outstanding reputation was not built overnight; it was our dedication to and consistent delivery of excellent customer service that allowed us to shine. This is evident in the large cohort of customers that has been with us for well over a decade. In this industry, I truly believe that nobody beats us at customer service.
“We are thrilled to join the GrubMarket team, which shares our service-oriented values and cares as much as we do about taking care of not only customers and suppliers, but also employees. The team members at GrubMarket feel like kindred spirits. We can’t wait to join this tight-knit family and leverage GrubMarket’s incredible technology ecosystem to bring more high-quality and farm-fresh produce to GrubMarket’s customers nationwide.”
GrubMarket CEO Mike Xu added, “JR embodies the true spirit of an entrepreneur – he started Performance Produce from scratch with his wife Virginia and worked tirelessly around the clock in the warehouse to personally fulfill all of his customers’ needs. As a fellow entrepreneur, I can appreciate the hard work and dedication required to achieve unmatched success and the sterling reputation built on dependability and reliability that Performance Produce has maintained for the last 17 years.
“Several of their largest customers have been with them since their earliest years, which is a testament to their outstanding customer service and enviable delivery and fulfillment track record. With this acquisition, GrubMarket expands further into North Carolina and strengthens our strategic presence within the Southeastern U.S. We are beyond excited to welcome the Performance Produce team to the GrubMarket family.”
As a part of GrubMarket’s portfolio, Performance Produce will utilize GrubMarket’s AI-powered WholesaleWare software suite, a platform that provides food industry wholesalers and distributors with financial management, powerful sales support, online ordering, inventory management, lot traceability, grower accounting and automated routing and logistics, as well as Orders IO, GrubMarket’s branded, mobile e-commerce solution.
Read more produce news from The Shelby Report.
