Dole plc - Our Business - Our Operations

The Global Leader in Fresh Produce

Employing 38,500 people across 30 countries, Dole plc is the world’s leading fresh produce provider. Marketing fresh fruit and vegetables predominantly, but not exclusively across Europe and North America, our business is organized into four segments: Fresh Fruit, Diversified Fresh Produce - EMEA and Diversified Fresh Produce- Americas & ROW and Fresh Vegetables. Though strategically aligned, these segments are managed separately on a day to day basis, reflecting differences in geography, product portfolio’s, production processes, distribution channels and customer profiles.

Customer and consumer focused in orientation, this organisational structure allows us to bring the required focus to individual categories and markets Dole customers have come to expect exceptional quality associated with our iconic DOLE brand.

This commitment to differentiating both our products and the services we provide aligned with our global and local reach and resources and marketplace experience and expertise sets us apart. It delivers to us and our customers synergies and efficiencies and the capacity to add value across the supply chain providing a robust and sustainable platform for future growth.

Our business segments

Dole plc’s structure reflects our commitment to deliver consistently exceptional produce grown to the very highest standards brought to market via local operations operating to the very highest service standards.

Fresh Fruit

Fresh Vegetables

Diversified Produce (EMEA)

Diversified Produce (Americas & ROW)

Vertically Integrated Supply Chain:

Farming over 114,000 acres of production, Dole’s influence over production extends from farm to fork allowing us to assure best agronomic and sustainable practices right across the supply chain. Working hand in glove with trusted third party growers we complement our own range with produce from across the globe, all of which is subject to the same exacting standards as our own.

Local at heart, Global by Nature

In Dole plc we are committed to delivering the best of both worlds: the collective strength, reach and resources of the global leader alongside the local experience, expertise and services levels delivered by our on-the-ground operations across Europe and North America. Cumulative strength drives competitiveness, delivers synergies and efficiencies, adds value, extracts costs and sustains our competitive advantage. Empowered local management shape our business regionally – lending a focus and a flexibility to our operations borne from a deep understanding of each market’s unique dynamics. Together, it is a compelling combination.

By doing so we bring to bear the strengths inherent across our global vertically integrated supply chain: our infrastructure, our facilities and our resources while retaining the local focus necessary to provide bespoke services and products. This flexibility allows us to meet the needs of multi-national customers, better anticipate customer needs, preserve our relevance in the supply chain, manage contingencies and build our competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Farm To Fork Resources

Our vertically integrated business model is supported by a valuable and extensive strategic infrastructure and asset base. We operate approximately 114,000 acres of farms and other land holdings around the world, own a fleet of ten refrigerated container carriers and six pallet friendly conventional refrigerated ships and own or lease approximately 18,430 refrigerated containers and 1050 dry containers. The breadth and depth of our local presence is evidenced by approximately 250 facilities globally, including five salad manufacturing plants, twelve cold storage facilities, 75 packing houses and 162 distribution and manufacturing facilities.

Our Services

In Dole, we strive to translate our competitive advantages: our people, our growers, our infrastructure, our relationships – into value for our customers; delivering to them a superior service, and to the consumer, produce which exceeds expectations. We do this secure in the conviction that, through ever evolving operational excellence, we will continue to grow – and deliver to all our stakeholders, equitable, industry-leading returns. Growing, sourcing, importing, ripening, packing, marketing and distributing over 300 lines of fresh produce, Dole plc’s range extends from the more familiar to the truly exotic and includes extensive organic and value added fresh cut ranges. Serving the retail, wholesale, foodservice and processing sectors, Dole plc is a complete fresh produce solution provider – offering a comprehensive menu of services to our customers ranging from simple service provision to complete Category Management.