By JERRY SHAW

The products of fruits and vegetables remain hand-crafted, which has made the juices so popular. Natalie’s produces seven juices at 25,000 gallons
of juice per week. There are no additives, preservatives, or GMOs.

A renowned juice company based in Fort Pierce that’s provided high-quality juices for generations has been sold, but local and worldwide customers will still be able to enjoy the taste and availability of Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company products for a long time to come.

The sale to Perricone Farms of Newport Beach, California, won’t cause any noticeable changes for consumers and will be more like a partnership between the two companies.

“Each of our businesses will continue to focus on what we do best,” Natalie Sexton texted to Treasure Coast Business. “Natalie’s has a large footprint in the grocery and retail distribution, while Perricone has a strong presence supplying the food service industry and hospitality businesses.” 

The company will remain branded as Natalie’s Orchid Island Juices as will its corporate facilities and plants for its authentic juices, she said. 

Natalie will be staying on as Vice President of Marketing while her mother, Marygrace Sexton, the founder, will also be staying on in a consulting role. The company was named after Natalie. 

“We’ve been providing families with high quality minimally processed juice for over 37 years now and have created a loyal following amongst our Natalie’s community as being authentic and unrivaled in taste,” Natalie stated.

CUSTOMERS STILL COUNT

Marygrace Sexton called Natalie’s loyal customers’ relationship with the company “the driving force behind the growth of Natalie’s” for its production of “world-class juice on a worldwide scale.”

Key members of the family will remain invested in the new ownership and play leadership roles.

Natalie’s employs about 250 people and there are no plans to change that, Natalie Sexton said. 

There are no financial details on the sale to Perricone, but Natalie’s took in more than $120 million in revenue last year. 

Marygrace Sexton’s operation began more than three decades ago with her pulling her daughter in a red wagon through an orange grove. Her husband, Bobby, a fourth-generation Florida citrus grower, had a goal of producing fresh-squeezed juice while running the family packing house. So, Marygrace went to work in the grove, first supplying her own family with fresh juice, then turning her skills into a women-owned family business, producing the finest juices in the area and soon all over the country and the world.

The company was started on Thanksgiving 1989. The products of fruits and vegetables remain hand-crafted for top quality and freshness, which has made the juices so popular. Natalie’s now produces seven juices at 25,000 gallons of juice per week. Their juices are made without additives, preservatives, or GMOs, remaining environmentally friendly.

With Publix as its first major retailer, Natalie’s Juice can now be found at such markets as Whole Foods, Kroger, Fresh Thyme, Winn-Dixie and the Fresh Market.

Natalie’s founder Marygrace Sexton will be a a consultant with the company and daughter Natalie, after whom the business was named, will remain vice president of marketing.

WORLD-CLASS MISSION

The joint venture between Perricone Farms and Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company “will strengthen our purpose driven mission to deliver world-class products coast to coast on a larger scale,” according to the Natalie’s company website.

While Perricone Farms has extensive experience in the food service industry with nationwide distribution, Natalie’s has a solid reputation for delivery to retailer networks throughout the country. 

Perricone Farms is a third-generation, family-owned agricultural business.

Bob Rovzar, CEO of Perricone Farms, said in a statement that the acquisition provides similar family and business values from the two companies. “Natalie’s commitment to producing the highest quality products, combined with unmatched customer service, aligns with the core values we have been providing in the marketplace for years. Working together, we will emerge even stronger and will be able to provide greater value to our customers.”

Natalie’s Juices has emphasized that there are no plans to eliminate products, and that the expanded operations from the acquisition will improve efficiency as well as customer service. Customers may email Natalie’s at customer.service@oijc.com or call 772.465.1122 with any questions or concerns.