Citrolim Peru and Acelim Acquisition
We are extremely excited to announce the acquisition of Global Citrus International (GCI) and Acelim del Peru – two Peruvian growers and producers of essential oils and fruit products with extensive operations in Peru and strong collaboration with Citrolim SA de CV, based in Mexico. With this acquisition, GCI and Acelim will become part of the Berjé Inc. family of companies, and will be renamed and operated as Citrolim Peru and Acelim.
GCI and Acelim are respected and preeminent growers, processors, and suppliers of lime-based products, including fresh limes, lime essential oils, lime juice, and lime peel. The renaming as Citrolim Peru will facilitate the integration and alignment of these operations into the world-renowned Berjé family of companies, further expanding our position as international producers within the flavor and fragrance industry.
Like Berjé, GCI and Acelim are family-owned and operated, and they remain a hallmark of operations for multi-generational companies. Prior to this acquisition, GCI and Acelim were owned and operated by the Texas-based Readhimer family. Founded by James Readhimer in 1971, the business has grown throughout the decades, with James’ sons David Readhimer and Marvin Readhimer serving as CEO and CFO / Legal Lead respectively since the 1980s. This second-generation family-run business has remained a respected and high-quality grower, processor, supplier, and distributor of limes and lime products for more than 50 years.
As such, the corporate culture and business philosophies of these companies are very closely aligned with our own, as Berjé is already within our third generation as a family-owned and operated business. This makes the acquisition an exceptionally smooth process, with uninterrupted service to all customers. The acquisition also provides ample opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing between the Berjé and Citrolim Peru teams to drive both innovation and growth!
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Berjé to expand our comprehensive line of citrus products, providing our customers access to the highest quality products available in the marketplace,” said Gillian Bleimann-Boucard, CEO of Berjé. “Like Berjé, the Readhimer’s family of businesses has always been known for quality, sustainability, and a commitment to its employees, partners, and customers. We are thrilled to be able to bolster our citrus line to ensure the quality, traceability, and availability that our customers need, and we welcome our new teammates into the Berjé family of companies.”
The acquisition of the Citrolim assets in Peru and collaboration in Mexico will be a seamless, turn-key transaction, with operations continuing uninterrupted and the entire workforce being integrated into the Berjé family of companies. In Peru, Berjé will assume full ownership, management, and operation of both the farming and lime processing operations, while in Mexico, Berjé will work with the Readhimer family to continue operations and management of the existing lime processing facility. Berjé will provide the necessary support and resources to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure current employees’ success within the organization.
“Now in our 75th year, Berjé remains committed to our values of Integrity, Industry Leadership, Legacy, Passion, Accountability, and Diversity,” said Bleimann-Boucard. “Our vision is to grow and maintain our global leadership position, building upon our trusted personalized service and our diverse range of fragrance and flavor ingredients, botanicals, and functional ingredients from our unparalleled inventory. We are relentlessly committed to our clients and team members, and to ethically and sustainably sourcing ingredients from our processing facilities and global producing partners.”
We warmly welcome our new team members in Peru and Mexico, and we look forward to our continued success together!
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