In the early 1900s, Giuseppe Joe Giumarra emigrated from Sicily with his father with the dream of a new life in North America. In 1922, he founded the family-owned produce business Giumarra Bros. Fruit Co., which eventually grew into the Giumarra Companies of today.

By 1982, Giumarra’s Escondido, California-based avocado operation opened to provide the company an on-the-ground center for packing, quality control and marketing. Today, Giumarra has become one of the major avocado suppliers in the United States, offering conventional, Fair Trade Certified and organic offerings.

Gary Caloroso, business development director, Giumarra

“We are one of the largest, if not the largest, supplier of organic avocados,” said Gary Caloroso, business development director for the company. “We offer year-round availability of organic avocados to meet its growing consumer demand.”

Giumarra’s avocado operation sources product from California, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia, enabling the company to offer customers the best quality avocados 12 months of the year.

“We use multiple packing houses at domestic and international locations to pack to any specifications,” Caloroso said. “Additionally, our pre-ripening facilities, strategically located throughout the U.S., enable our preconditioned avocados to reach most markets within one day."

There’s a lot that goes into being successful in the segment, but the company has the experience and know-how to ensure that it remains a leader in organic avocados.

“We collaborate very closely with our organic avocado growers in properly matching up the timing of their harvests with our program business customers,” Caloroso said. “When we do that, we maximize grower returns.”

Not that there aren’t challenges for both the company and its grower base.

“Avocado growers face higher input costs for their groves, so that has hampered future organic growth opportunities for them,” Caloroso said. “Consumers are still feeling the effects of inflation and higher prices, so that has temporarily affected demand.”

Still, consumers remain very passionate about purchasing organic avocados due to a variety of reasons including lifestyle, diet and strong support for the environment. The category isn’t expected to be too badly hit by these challenges.

“We believe organic avocado demand will grow if there exists enough industry supply,” Caloroso said.

In response to consumers' increased interest in better-for-the-Earth products in 2024, The Giumarra Companies launched a 100% plastic-free bag option for organic avocados, made of recyclable and compostable materials.

“It’s a limited offering at this time, but our team is working on expanding the program,” Caloroso said. “We also offer customized avocado bags that support the specific needs of our retail programs.”

The Giumarra Companies takes immense pride in a longstanding commitment to quality, service and industry leadership.

“Products packed under Giumarra’s trusted family of brands are supported by a suite of top-tier services and enjoyed by consumers daily,” Caloroso said. “Together with our partners, we are feeding the world in a healthy way.”

Looking ahead, the company has more in store for both its avocado segment and the other produce items it carries, planning further growth in the years to come.

“We look forward to sharing the next evolution of our business with the world as we focus on services, technology and of course, great-tasting produce,” Caloroso said.