FreshEdge Acquires KT Produce

Deal broadens reach of independent fresh food distributor

12/14/2023

KT Produce is FreshEdge’s fifth acquisition since Wind Point Partners’ initial investment in 2022.

KT Produce, a Lowell, Ark.-based produce distribution company, has joined FreshEdge, a family of best-in-class fresh food distribution companies backed by Chicago-based private-equity firm Wind Point Partners.

Chris Thompson founded KT Produce, then known as Kimball & Thompson Produce, in 2005. It provides premium-quality fruits and vegetables to various foodservice establishments, among them restaurants, schools, hotels, military bases and health care facilities, throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma, and southwest Missouri, delivering to more than 2,000 customers every week. KT Produce operates out of a 22,055-square-foot warehouse in Lowell, with an additional 9,000 square feet of warehouse space in Oklahoma City and 10,000 square feet in North Little Rock, Ark.

“Once we met FreshEdge, partnering with them became an easy decision,” noted Thompson. “They share our desire and vision to steward this family business into its next chapter. We look forward to seeing our business continue to flourish with the new opportunities and synergies that will come with joining the FreshEdge family.”

“We are proud to welcome Chris and the amazing KT Produce team to FreshEdge,” said Steve Grinstead, CEO of Indianapolis-based FreshEdge. “Their commitment to providing the highest-quality customer service is just one of the many reasons they will be an incredible addition to our family of best-in-class companies and aligns perfectly with FreshEdge’s belief in servant leadership.”

Added FreshEdge President Greg Corsaro: “KT Produce is a great company with a great reputation. We are honored, humbled, and grateful that Chris and his team have chosen to join our family. We are very excited and look forward to our future together.”

FreshEdge was established in 2019 with the combination of Indianapolis Fruit and Piazza Produce, in Indianapolis, and Get Fresh Produce, in Bartlett, Ill. Since then, various distribution companies and their respective value-added operations have joined the FreshEdge family, growing it into a leader in the fresh food industry with a focus on fresh produce and specialty food items. FreshEdge’s footprint spans 25 states throughout the Midwest and southeastern United States. KT Produce is FreshEdge’s fifth acquisition since Wind Point’s initial investment in 2022. Earlier acquisitions include those of Greenberg Fruit Co. and Sirna & Sons.