Fruit firm will chew on new owner

LAKELAND — A group of Illinois investors with holdings in the processed fruit industry acquired Florida Bulk Sales Inc., a Lakeland-based trader and distributor of industrial fruit ingredients.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The buyers include Greenwood Associates Inc. and Chicago Processed Fruit Group, according to a release. The partnership plans to continue operating the 27-year-old Florida Bulk Sales, which currently has five employees. The company is an importer and exporter of several fruit products including juices, concentrates, purees and pieces.

Upon completion of the sale, Florida Bulk Sales' President Donna Clarke plans to retire, the release states. The buyers say the acquisition will allow the group to serve a broader range of customers over a larger portion of the country, and the combined companies will have greater purchasing power.

Greenwood Associates, founded in 1974, is an importer and distributor of fruit juice concentrates, purees and essential oils based in Niles, Ill. The Chicago Processed Fruit Group blends, packages and distributes fruit products.