About Us

History of Peace River Packing

Peace River Packing Company was founded in 1928 when a group of Fort Meade citrus growers decided to pool their resources and build a packinghouse of their own. Over the past 90 years, Peace River has carried on and persevered through many challenges to become a critical component of the local economy.

From our humble beginnings as a small wood-frame packinghouse built on land leased from the railroad, Peace River slowly grew, adding capacity and technology to keep up with crop volume. Today, Peace River is a model of modern citrus packing efficiency with high-speed electronic fruit graders, automated bagging machines, a massive multilevel cooler, and a professional and highly dedicated team of employees.

Major Facts

  • Peace River Packing Company is a family business, established 1928
  • A member of Florida’s Natural Growers and an agricultural cooperative, since 1970
  • Performs citrus grove management, harvesting, and packing fresh fruit
  • Pack oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit
  • Annually is in the top 20 fresh citrus packinghouses in Florida by production
  • As a cooperative, we manage and harvest over 2,000 acres of citrus groves in the Polk, Highlands, and Hillsborough counties
  • Largest private employer in the city of Fort Meade, with over 130 employees