Industry veterans behind newly formed Last Mile acquire California-based GreenFruit Avocados

California-based avocado supplier GreenFruit Avocados was fully acquired by the newly formed holding company, Last Mile. 

The firm is made up of a team of industry veterans, including Scott Bauwens and Jamie Johnson of Simpatica, former Mission Produce executive Jim Donovan, and Tahuaycani, a Spanish investment company with deep involvement in the global avocado industry.

In a press release, the new company stated that the transaction closed on April 24, 2026, under undisclosed terms, and the entire process will be supported by an investment fund managed by New York-based Ospraie Management. Post-close, the firm’s involvement will continue through direct participation on the GreenFruit Board of Directors. 

The move, Last Mile added, is part of the partnership’s commitment to building a vertically integrated avocado company with global supply reach and California leadership. 

 “This partnership was formed around a simple conviction: the avocado industry rewards companies that control the supply chain and bring the right leadership, the right growers, and the right capital together,” Donovan said. “GreenFruit 2.0 gives us the distribution and operational foundation to do that.” 

A first milestone for Last Mile

Under new ownership, GreenFruit will operate as a grower, packer, shipper, and ripener across North and South America. 

Tahuaycani’s connection to ACP Agro, one of the world’s leading avocado-producing regions in Peru, provides scale and year-round sourcing capability. Simpatica’s approximately 1,400 acres of established California groves are built on four generations of farming in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Riverside counties, and add captive domestic growing capacity at the heart of the US market. 

Additionally, GreenFruit’s ripening and distribution centers operate across Southern California, Texas, Chicago, Miami, Pennsylvania, Toronto, and Vancouver. These facilities anchor North American operations and position the company strategically near major distribution channels, supported by an experienced GreenFruit team. 

Mexico remains a core foundation of GreenFruit’s sourcing model, with the acquisition adding capital, global supply depth, and seasoned leadership to an already strong platform. 

GreenFruit Avocados will remain headquartered in Orange County, California, and continuity of customer and grower relationships and contracts will remain a top priority for all entities in the transaction. 

A new company for a new avocado era

In the midst of a strong avocado consolidation, the Last Mile partnership reflects an alternative thesis: market opportunity belongs to companies that compete on quality, stable pricing, and supply chain reliability. 

With decades of experience under their belts, the heads of Last Mile are more than up for the challenge. 

Scott Bauwens brings more than 21 years of global executive management experience in the avocado industry, including 12 years as Vice President of Global Sourcing with one of the largest US avocado distributors, 10 years on the Hass Avocado Board, and seven years on the California Avocado Commission. He will step back from his role as CEO at Simpatica to serve full-time as Chief Executive Officer of GreenFruit. 

“This is industry-savvy ownership with real grower relationships in a vertically integrated model,” Bauwens said. “We understand this business from the ground up: For growers, that means a financially stronger partner who knows their world; for retailers and distributors, that means a team with the credibility and the supply depth to deliver on what we promise.”

Jim Donovan, whose career at Mission Produce spanned over 36 years, helped conceptualize and build global supply and consumer demand for avocados, and will serve as Executive Chairman of the Board. 

Brian Gomez, one of GreenFruit’s original owners, will serve as President of Sales. 

*All images courtesy of GreenFruit Avocados. 

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