Fall Creek moves beyond blueberries with Berryplant and Berrytech acquisition

In a LinkedIn post, Fall Creek CEO Marc de Beer announced that the company is acquiring two new operations: the Italy-based nursery platform Berryplant, and its sister company, the breeder Berrytech.

The family-founded companies bring 30 years of expertise in Rubus (raspberries and blackberries) development and propagation to Fall Creek, marking the blueberry giant's expansion into the broader berry market. 

The executive made the move clear in his post by signing off by writing: “A World with Better Blueberries, now on the path to A World with Better Berries.”

"Expanding into raspberries and blackberries was never a question of whether, only when,” said Marc de Beer in a statement released after the announcement. “Growers and retailers increasingly need a trusted partner across berry categories, not just one; and we have spent years building the teams, breeding programs, and commercial infrastructure to serve that need."

“We are excited to join forces with this talented team and the fantastic Rubus breeding and nursery platform they have built. By bringing together great people with a shared purpose, we hope to better serve the berry industry and accelerate our mission,” de Beer wrote. 

New expertise for a new era at Fall Creek

Berryplant is a family-owned business headquartered in Baselga di Pine, Trentino, Italy, with more than three decades of experience in raspberry and blackberry propagation.

The company offers commercially proven raspberry varieties, including Amalia, Clarita, Optima, Shani, and Eros, and blackberry varieties including the Loch series. Its sister company Berrytech, established in 2019, manages the group’s breeding and intellectual property portfolio. To date, Berrytech holds 10 Plant Breeders’ Rights titles for raspberry and blackberry varieties.

Berryplant is one of only four certified prebase material centers for raspberries and blackberries in Europe. The team’s founders, Maddalena Grisenti and Ilario Ioriatti, were among the first on the continent to undertake a private raspberry and blackberry breeding program.

The executive praised Berryplant’s R&D director, Diego Ioriatti, and founding partner, Maria Maddalena Grisenti, for their work in earning the trust of growers worldwide through technical expertise. 

“As global demand for high-quality berries continues to grow, we believe that the future belongs to organizations that combine great science, deep customer relationships and a long-term commitment to innovation,” de Beer continued. 

The transaction's financial details have not yet been disclosed, but in a press release, Fall Creek explained that Berrytech will continue to operate as a standalone entity during an initial transition period. The nursery operations and assets of Berryplant will be integrated into Fall Creek Italia, ensuring continuity for employees and customers

*Main image courtesy of Marc de Beer's LinkedIn; other images courtesy of Berryplant on Facebook. 

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