Grapeman Farms Leans into Data, Imports and Premium Varieties for Its Next Growth Chapter

As the global grape marketplace becomes more competitive, more data-driven and increasingly import-focused, Grapeman Farms is positioning itself not just to survive, but to sharpen its edge.

With operations now spanning California, Peru, Chile and Mexico—and a hyper-focus on the most in-demand premium varieties—the company has transformed from a traditional California grower into a year-round, bi-coastal importer with global reach.

Founded in 1974, Grapeman began as a California-centric grower-shipper, once farming as many as 3,500 to 4,000 acres within the state. But as production costs, regulation and water pressures intensified, the company made a pivotal shift starting in 2005, entering the import business with fruit from Mexico, Peru and Chile.

Today, that strategy defines the company’s identity.

“Fifteen years ago, Chile was the golden goose,” said Stephen Harmer, vice president of sales and marketing for the company. “Peru has grown steadily over the years and become an important part of the mix, but all of our regions—California, Chile, Mexico and Peru—continue to play key roles in giving customers the consistency they expect.”

That evolution has helped balance risk and stabilize supply. Grapeman now moves an estimated 5-7 million cases annually across all regions, including 2-3 million from California, about 3 million from South America, and up to 1 million from Mexico, depending on the season. The company ships to most U.S. states and maintains export markets that include Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

What truly sets Grapeman apart is its focus on new-generation varieties and its full-season continuity. Roughly 70% of the company’s portfolio is made up of newer genetics, including Autumn Crisp, Sweet Globe, Jack’s Salute, Allison, Sweet Celebration and specialty candy grapes. The company is also a Sun World licensed importer and one of the few suppliers offering a six-month consecutive Autumn Crisp program from November through April, including organic offerings.

“We’re focused on being a one-stop shop—from California to Peru to Chile to Mexico,” Harmer said. “Customers want continuity. They want the same eating experience 52 weeks a year.”

That continuity is supported by a true bi-coastal import model, with offices in California and New Jersey, as well as dedicated teams on the ground in Peru and Chile and operations in Mexico.

“We follow the fruit,” Harmer said. “Having people in all those regions is a huge advantage.”

Behind the scenes, Grapeman is leaning heavily into data, analytics and predictive forecasting, an area Harmer believes gives the company a competitive edge. Rather than rely on week-to-week market feel, Grapeman uses internal PowerPivot and BI systems tied directly to inventory, sales history, pricing and movement patterns. Artificial intelligence is now part of that mix as well.

“We take a raw-data approach to agriculture,” Harmer said. “At the click of a button, we can look at trends over multiple years and anticipate where markets are going to be long or short. That helps us protect our growers and stay competitive with pricing.”

The company’s grower model is another differentiator. In South America especially, much of the fruit remains grower-owned, with Grapeman acting as the marketing and importing partner.

“We’re big enough to matter and small enough to care,” Harmer said. “Our overhead is lean, and that allows us to return better margins to the growers.”

Looking ahead, the company sees both challenges and opportunity. Oversupply is projected to pressure returns across the global grape industry for several years, making customer diversification a top priority. Rather than relying too heavily on massive big-box chains, Grapeman has been actively expanding into regional retailers, wholesalers and independent operators who often align more closely with sustainable grower pricing.

The company’s most ambitious future goal is also clear: full vertical integration in Peru. Grapeman aims to become not just an importer, but a grower-shipper-packer with full control of supply in the country that now anchors its winter program.

“In five to 10 years, we expect to be fully vertical in Peru,” Harmer said. “California, Mexico and Chile will continue to anchor our program, and Peru represents one of the key areas where we see opportunity to expand our capabilities.”

With premium varieties, real-time data, year-round sourcing and deeper grower control all driving the strategy, Grapeman Farms is no longer just adapting to the modern grape market—it’s actively shaping how premium grapes reach consumers across the Western Hemisphere.

Grapeman Market Report – 12/11

Executive Summary

• Market Overview: The market has fully shifted to imports, with Peru dominating supply as California exits for the season. Demand will exceed supply for the next several weeks.
• Supply Synopsis: Peru leads global availability with strong shipments, while Chile ramps up slowly and South Africa faces logistics-related delays.

Market Dynamics

1. Pricing

California is effectively done for the season, and Peruvian grapes have now fully taken over the marketplace across all colors.

2. Promotional Activity

Promotional momentum continues to extend: during the week of 12/5, 10,992 stores promoted grapes vs 8,142 last season (+35%), marking the 14th consecutive week with more promotions than the same period in 2024, effectively making up for lower promotions during the start of the CA season.

3. California Sales

Movement of California fruit tracked almost exactly with last season, with 1.78 million boxes shipped this past week versus 1.7 million last year; year to date, California has moved 77.0 million boxes compared with 79.6 million in 2024.

Supply Overview: Global Origins

1. Peru

Total Shipments: Peru has already surpassed last year’s volume, shipping 39.6 million boxes versus 38.6 million (3% YTD); last week: 6.4 million boxes.

Markets Distribution: Week 49 departures – North America 3,963,672 boxes (62%), Europe 1,733,989 boxes (27%), Latin America 511,530 boxes (8%), Asia 195,222 boxes (3%), Oceania 8,920 boxes (0.1%), Middle East 6,842 boxes (0.1%).

U.S. Shipments: Of the 3.3 million boxes shipped to the U.S., 83% East Coast, 17% West Coast. Green Seedless 53%, Red Seedless 26%, Mixed 15%, Black Seedless 4%, Red Seeded 1%.

2. Chile

Total Shipments: Chile has increased YTD departures to 71,378 boxes. By region: U.S. 37,199 (52%), Latin America 30,716 (43%), Europe 1,563 (2%), Far East 1,900 (3%). By color: 58,805 Green Seedless (82%), 10,388 Red Seedless (15%), 2,185 Black Seedless (3%).

3. Other International Markets

Europe: Transitioning from local to imported supply, mostly greens; reds/blacks remain domestic.

South Africa: Logistic issues limit export flow; inspection volumes up 22% YoY; exports concentrated: Europe 57%, SE Asia 20%, Canada 6%, Middle East 4%, South America 3%, others <2%. Impacts organics.

Brazil: 55.9k tons (+27.9% YoY) through Nov 2025; U.S. shipments constrained by 50% tariff (3,966 tons YTD). Export revenues US$140.6M; 85% shipped via sea; Pernambuco & Bahia supply >97%.