Farm Direct Partners Names New Executive Leaders
July 19, 2024 U.S.-based fresh produce grower/packer/importer Farm Direct Partners (FDP) has appointed produce industry specialists Jackie Carrillo and Dan Acevedo as key executives in a strategic move that will further advance the company’s exponential growth in the imported lime category.
According to data from USDA, U.S. lime imports by value have risen 69.5% since 2020, reaching nearly $860 million U.S. dollars for the 2023-2024 market year. However, during the same period, U.S. imports by volume have grown a mere 3.6%. This discrepancy highlights the market’s need to expand its sourcing capabilities and add new regions of production.
FDP is leading the charge in solving this problem.
“What we’ve seen in the lime space is truly incredible,” Dax Cooke, FDP’s Head of Sales, says. “The push for origin diversification has grown tremendously. There’s a widespread understanding in the market that new regions of production need to be integrated into the supply chain.”
FDP, which brings in fresh lime from its subsidiaries in Colombia, Peru, and elsewhere, has seen exponential growth over the past few years.
“Our customers have been able to increase their unit sales significantly by diversifying their sourcing strategies to include lime from South America,” Cooke says. “To continue this momentum, we’ve added new key executives Jackie Carrillo and Dan Acevedo. Jackie and Dan will be supporting us at the IFPA Foodservice Conference in Monterey, CA, on July 25-26.”
Jackie Carrillo (Executive Vice President of Sales)
“Jackie has been both the largest buyer of limes in the world during her time as sourcing manager for Walmart and one of the largest sellers of limes during her time at Sicar Farms. By leveraging Jackie’s category knowledge, we will be able to improve pricing for our customers by placing the right fruit with the right clients,” Cooke says.
“It’s very exciting to be joining this team,” Carrillo says. “Farm Direct Partners is at the forefront of an industry-wide evolution. While Mexico will continue to be a key supplier for the U.S. market, maintaining security of supply will require a multi-origin approach. With Farm Direct Partners, my goal is to continue to work to reduce price volatility and improve stability for customers.”
Dan Acevedo (Director of Business Development)
The company is also bringing on well-known fresh produce veteran Acevedo.
“Dan has extensive experience with developing new-origin products into national and regional programs,” Cooke says. “Dan will be spearheading our business development and national marketing programs, leveraging his knowledge of retail, food service, and wholesale markets across North America to allow us to better serve customers and improve pricing.”
“For years I’ve been closely following the growth of Farm Direct Partners and the leading role that the company has played in developing Colombian lime exports,” Acevedo says. “Colombia is a country with incredible agricultural potential and it’s exciting to be a part of a company that’s playing a leading role in bringing Colombian produce to U.S. consumers.”
“I’ve also been very conscious of the need for origin diversification, not only in lime but across many product categories,” Acevedo adds. “Over my 25 years of experience in fresh produce, including Colombian lime and avocado most recently, I’ve come to understand that markets can’t come to over-rely on a single supplier, which in the case of lime is Mexico. Colombia and other countries can be a great hedge against volatility.”
Farm Direct Partners (FDP) is a multi-origin grower, packer, and distributor, located in Florida, that exists to provide much-needed origin diversification in the lime space, offering seedless and key limes, as well as organics, from Colombia, Peru, and elsewhere. Our mission is to build a more stable, cost-effective lime supply chain by connecting stakeholders and going directly to the farms.
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