An 82-year-old Winston-Salem company, Branscomb Produce Co., has been sold to Lipman, a Florida agriculture company that is the largest field tomato grower in North America.
Terms were not disclosed by the companies Thursday. Officials with the companies could not be reached for comment.
Branscomb was founded in 1930 and had been privately held. It is based at 3709 N. Glenn Ave.
It has a workforce of at least 50 and had annual revenue between $20 million and $50 million, according to www.manta.com. The company sells to local and regional food-service firms.
Lipman said Branscomb will join its network of research and development, farming, packing, processing, repacking and procurement solutions. It was not clear whether the local operations will be affected by the sale.
Eddie Branscomb, his son, Ben, and Al Yancey will take jobs with Lipman as part of the deal. Branscomb is the grandson of the company's founder.
Branscomb said in a statement that the company is "proud to be a part of Lipman's integrated network."
Kent Shoemaker, chief executive of Lipman, said in a statement that gaining two respected tomato-industry veterans in Eddie Branscomb and Yancey helped persuade his company to buy Branscomb.
Lipman, founded in the 1950s and based in Immokalee, Fla., has 23 operations throughout North America. It changed its name from Six L's in September.
It provides year-round fresh produce through farms in California, Florida, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia and in Mexico. It has more than 4,000 workers. Produce is available online.
Lipman bought Coastal Brokers of Portland, Ore., in December.
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