Family-Owned Mastronardi Produce Continues Its Legacy of CEA Leadership
Family-owned and run Mastronardi Produce continues to blaze trails in the world of controlled environment agriculture.
Despite the marketing claims of many companies, true pioneers in the controlled-environment produce industry are few and far between. But family-owned Mastronardi Produce has secured its place as an industry innovator and leader, pioneering not only in produce but in people and environmental responsibility.
Since building the first commercial greenhouse in North America in the 1940s, four generations of Mastronardi family leaders have grown the company into the respected CEA powerhouse it is today. The world-class producer remains focused on unbeatable, premium year-round produce while expanding its offerings, supporting its employees and championing sustainability.
Pioneering Growth
Fourth-generation family member Paul Mastronardi, President and CEO, carries on a long tradition of innovation and leadership. His great-grandfather Armando Mastronardi immigrated to North America in the 1920s and purchased a farm in Leamington, Ontario.
Two decades later, Paul’s visionary grandfather Umberto Mastronardi traveled to Holland. Impressed by the greenhouse technology, he returned home to build North America’s first commercial greenhouse. By 1954, Mastronardi Produce was established and growing greenhouse produce exclusively.
Paul’s father, Don Mastronardi, was just 25 years old when his father, Umberto, passed away unexpectedly. The company had recently acquired Detroit-based Harry Becker Produce Co., which enabled a rapid expansion into the U.S. market.
Don’s long hours spent daily on both sides of the border — at Becker in Detroit until noon, with afternoons at the Leamington greenhouse — set the stage for his son. Paul grew up working every aspect of the business, starting with building boxes at age 10.
At that time, Leamington held 5- to 10-acre greenhouse operations. Then Don Mastronardi shook things up. In 1994, Don built a 50-acre super-greenhouse operation, the first of its kind in North America. The project accelerated growth in the Leamington greenhouse community, and 20-acre expansions soon became the norm.
Flavorful Focus
Paul shadowed his father and learned the business during a time when the greenhouse produce industry was chasing larger size and shelf life. But the message he heard loud and clear was that people wanted fruits with more flavor. A trip to Holland to check out new varieties was fruitful. Paul returned with a flavor-packed, golf-ball-size tomato — so different from anything on the market that he realized it needed branding to stand out.
In 1995, Paul launched the company’s first branded tomato, Campari. His marketing instincts proved correct. Almost 30 years later, Campari remains one of the top-selling cocktail tomatoes in the United States. Other products marketed under the company’s SUNSET brand soon followed, including Splendido, the first greenhouse-grown grape tomato, along with Angel Sweet and Flavor Bombs tomatoes.
Today, Mastronardi Produce offerings include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, berries and lettuce. And, while the company is repeatedly honored for its branding and marketing, flavor is still the key. “I have learned that once a consumer is hooked on flavor, you’re guaranteed repeat sales,” Paul says. “We take pride in consistently producing flavorful tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and berries.”
Mastronardi Produce has more than 5,000 acres of controlled-environment growing space spread across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
Steady Expansion and Support
Mastronardi Produce has grown consistently through the years, both in acquisitions and grower partnerships. In 2023, it ranked #1 on the list of the largest greenhouse vegetable growers in the United States. The company has more than 5,000 acres of controlled-environment productive growing capacity spread across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, working with hundreds of grower partners.
In 2023 alone, the company’s production capacity underwent multiple expansions. A joint venture with New York greenhouse grower and trucking company Intergrow added 105 acres of high-tech greenhouse production capacity to Mastronardi’s U.S. network and kept more than 280 people employed for the new company, Sungrow Farms.
Mastronardi also expanded its Backyard Farms brand in a marketing partnership with two growers serving local markets but facing challenges — one in Florida and one in Colorado. Calling the partnerships “win-win relationships,” Mastronardi Produce VP of Business Development Dean Taylor says, “We have relationships with growers spanning decades, and we highly value them.
One of 2023’s biggest announcements came when Mastronardi stepped in and took over two AppHarvest farms in Kentucky following AppHarvest’s high-profile bankruptcy. The farms operate through long-term lease agreements for two separate tenant operators, wholly owned Mastronardi subsidiaries. Earlier, the company had acquired AppHarvest’s Berea, Kentucky, farm.
A Mastronardi company spokesperson at the time confirmed that AppHarvest farm employees were offered employment, most had been retained, and a support team was in place to ensure a smooth transition for employees. Paul added, “As leaders in commercial greenhouse growing, we’re invested in expanding both productive capacity in the industry and employment opportunities for workers.”
Traceability and Sustainability
Mastronardi Produce was one of the first produce companies to initiate product traceability. Featured on CNN 16 years ago, the strong traceability program requires all products packed under the SUNSET label to contain product origin information and a farm code to trace back to the greenhouse of origin. Sustainability has been a long-time focus as well.
Hanging-gutter systems installed in Mastronardi greenhouses capture leachate, recycling 99% of unused water and fertilizer. Giant basins collect rainwater, which is UV treated and then reused again and again. Plants are fed through drip irrigation, ensuring they get the precise amount of water they need. These sustainable practices result in significantly lower water usage — up to 10 times less than field farms.
On the packaging side, the company started reducing plastic use long before retailers and consumers asked. Mastronardi introduced Top Seal technology more than a decade ago, reducing its clamshell plastic more than 20%. Additional sustainability advances are in store. The company is testing more earth-friendly and plastic-free packaging, like fully recyclable paperboard anbackyard-compostable packaging.
Finding and implementing the latest cutting-edge growing systems and innovative technology to improve sustainability and productivity is integral to Mastronardi Produce’s growth strategy, building on the high-tech greenhouse production behind its success.
“People fail to realize that with certain crops, greenhouses are one of the most sustainable, high-tech vertical farms available,” Paul says. “A greenhouse is not just measured in area per square feet; it’s also measured in cubic feet. A lot of these vertical farm companies are trying to rethink something that is already working.”
Investments in People
As Mastronardi Produce’s square-footage has grown, so has its employee base. The company directly employs more than 3,000 people, in addition to supporting its grower-partner network. In 2023, the company was named one of Canada’s Best Managed companies for the 14th year in a row. Mastronardi’s teams have earned international awards for flavor, quality and innovation. The company is dedicated to employee growth.
Mastronardi Produce was also honored for its leadership in career development last year. The company received the Leamington Chamber of Commerce 2023 Business Excellence Award for Investing in a World Class Workforce. The award recognizes a business that leads the way in preparing employees for the future by investing in skills development and training, providing career growth opportunities and modeling lifelong learning.
Mastronardi team members are encouraged to pursue professional development that advances their skills and knowledge in fresh produce — paid for by the company. Many employees also participate in a tuition reimbursement program for post-graduate education, which covers up to 50% of academic course fees. In support of local communities, the company engages its employees in multiple fundraisers, fresh produce donations, races and more under an employee engagement program.
“At Mastronardi Produce, we want our team members to see this as a place where they can grow, build lifelong careers, and make a difference,” says Paul. “Our talented team has brought us to where we are today, and we are proud to support employee growth in any way we can.”
Legacy of Leadership
As Paul Mastronardi continues to build on the legacy of leadership that defines Mastronardi Produce’s 70 years and counting, his impact on the company and the CEA produce industry have been noted. In 2022, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ontario Produce Marketing Association (OPMA).
The prestigious award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated tireless efforts over many years to improve the quality and distribution of fruits and vegetables marketed within and outside Ontario through innovation, cooperation and hard work.
“This award is an incredible honor for me and my family. I am sincerely humbled to be among the ranks of past recipients of this award, including my father Don,” Paul said. “I was born into this industry and had the great fortune of learning from the legacy of three generations before me. I feel a great sense of pride and privilege to carry that on.”