Driscoll’s Takes Ownership of Australia’s Costa Group

Driscoll’s, a producer of fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, has announced in conjunction with Paine Schwartz Partners and British Columbia Investment Management Corp. that it has completed the purchase of Costa Group, an Australian grower, packer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Costa was started in the late 1800s and has since grown into a leading global horticultural company with a portfolio of fresh produce that includes blueberries, glasshouse tomatoes, citrus, avocados, mushrooms and table grapes. Production and grower networks exist throughout Australia as well as in China, Morocco and southern Africa. Its products are sold throughout Europe, Asia and North America.

The release stated that this new deal is part of a “logical progression of the relationship between Driscoll’s and Costa, which began in 2010.” The companies equally own a joint venture marketing blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries in Australia, and entered into a joint venture in 2016 to start up a berry production company in China. These existing arrangements will continue unaffected by the new ownership structure.