By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media
Arable Capital Partners, a private equity firm specializing in sustainable food and agri-business, is reshaping the fresh produce landscape. The Bellevue, Washington-based asset manager has merged its organic salad brand, organicgirl, with Braga Fresh and acquired Dole Fresh Vegetables’ Bud Antle division, bolstering its presence in the organic greens and value-added produce market. Dole Executive Chairman Carl McCann touted the sale as a “strategic milestone,” explaining that the company sold the division so that it could focus its investments on core business activities.
Braga Fresh adds depth to the new platform with its fully integrated operations and broad capabilities across both organic and conventional vegetables. The company is a key supplier of salad kits, blends and fresh-packed items, with a reputation for quality and sustainable growing practices. Dole Fresh Vegetables, through its Bud Antle division, brings decades of brand recognition and a wide-ranging lineup of packaged salads, ready-to-use kits and bulk vegetables sold under the well-established Dole and Bud of California labels.
Dole further detailed that the sale of its Fresh Vegetables Division was to og Holdco, the parent company of organicgirl, disclosing that the deal was valued at $140 million, including a combination of $90 million in cash and a $50 million seller note. There’s an additional $10 million earnout contingent on future performance. As part of the agreement, Dole will keep its facilities in Huron, California and Yuma, Arizona.
The Fresh Vegetables Division includes the processing and sale of both whole vegetables, such as lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, celery and artichokes, as well as value-added products like salads and salad kits. The business operates a trio of processing facilities in the U.S., supports active farming operations and employs over 3,000 people nationwide.
Tim Stejskal takes the helm as CEO of the newly combined company. Before joining Arable in 2023 as an Operating Partner, he led Fresh Innovations and spent more than 20 years at Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle in various roles. Commenting on the announcement, Stejskal stated, “This new platform creates a diversified produce portfolio that strengthens each brand’s legacy of innovation and commitment to exceptional customer service.”
According to PwC, global consumer-sector M&A activity between H12024 and H12025 experienced a 9 percent drop in deal volume. However, overall consumer market deal values jumped by approximately 32 percent, driven by a handful of megadeals, including multiple transactions with price tags exceeding $5 billion. Despite a perfect storm of persistent inflation, high interest rates and tariff-related uncertainty dampening investor sentiment, these large-scale deals suggest confidence in long-term consumer demand and strategic scale.
Regional trends varied: in the Americas, volume fell 22 percent while deal value surged 71 percent; Asia-Pacific saw a 7 percent volume decline with a 25 percent increase in value, fueled by major supermarket deals in Japan; and EMEA saw modest declines in both volume (2 percent) and value (10 percent) amid macroeconomic headwinds.
PwC’s June 2025 Voice of the Consumer Survey found that while consumers are increasingly drawn to food products that reflect their values — health-conscious, convenient and environmentally responsible — many are needing to compromise due to rising living costs. This disconnect between mission and affordability is inspiring companies across the food value chain to reassess pricing, product mix and supply strategies, further fueling M&A activity as firms seek scale and resilience in a cost-sensitive market.
Of the deals, organicgirl Co-Founder Mark Drever said, “This combination unlocks exciting new potential for the organicgirl brand and presents meaningful opportunities for the dedicated teams across all three companies. With enhanced resources and scale, we are even better positioned to deliver on our promise of quality and care to consumers.”
Arable Managing Director Greg Richards commented, “Arable was formed to provide investors unique opportunities to partner with great businesses and operators and create value. The merger of organicgirl, Braga Fresh and Dole Fresh Vegetables/Bud Antle does exactly this in combining industry leaders across the salad and vegetable sectors enabling continued market growth for these businesses and their customers, growers and shareholders.”
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