About MBG Marketing

Our Story

MBG Marketing is a producer-owned berry growing and marketing cooperative formed in 1936 with member blueberry and blackberry growers now located in Michigan, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey and British Columbia. MBG is the largest grower-owned marketer of fresh highbush blueberries in the world, going to market for both its blueberries and blackberries in the globally recognized Naturipe ® brand, another producer-owned company owned by MBG and three grower partners. MBG Marketing is also a partner in MB Global Foods, an international frozen food business based in Montreal, Canada. MBG proudly owns and operates its own blueberry breeding program, Berry Blue, LLC, utilizing the largest base of blueberry plant genetics anywhere, to offer MBG’s growers and customers superior blueberry varieties that not only meet the discerning tastes of blueberry consumers, but provide growers with high-quality, high-yielding plants to grow farm profitability.

The cooperative’s business model of “operating at cost” affords MBG’s owner-members a competitive advantage in a continually expanding industry. Headquartered in Grand Junction, Michigan, MBG also has professional staff based in southeast Georgia and northwest Oregon, offering its grower-owners in all its growing regions unprecedented service and support in meeting the challenges of the 21st century food industry, making MBG the home for today’s enterprising blueberry and blackberry growers. An eleven-person Board of Directors, elected by and from MBG’s member-owners, represent our various membership areas and governs MBG in coordination with the leadership of Brad Moorer, Chief Executive Officer, and his staff.

Organization History

Organization History
1951
November 15

Growing a Blueberry Cooperative

Growing a Blueberry Cooperative
Bill Donald – MBG’s First Full-Time General Manager
1945
May 10

Grand Junction Warehouse

Grand Junction Warehouse
A 30’ x 30’ warehouse was built in Grand Junction; it was doubled in size the following year.
1937
January 9

First Board of Directors

First Board of Directors
A meeting was held January 9, and a Board of Directors was elected. The original 13 grower numbers were issued and this number was to appear on every crate of berries marketed by that grower.
1936
November 2

Michigan Blueberry Growers Association Formed

Michigan Blueberry Growers Association Formed
On November 2nd, a preliminary organizational meeting was held and the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association was formed. Pictured is founding member Jack Strong and grandfather of current MBG member Chris Hodgman.    
June 1

Our Beginning

Our Beginning
Stanley Johnston, a young horticulturist hired as superintendent of Michigan State University’s South Haven Experiment Station encouraged a small group of local blueberry growers to come together to address the problems of this foundling industry.