If you’ve ever stood in the frozen fruit aisle of a Walmart or a local grocer, squinting at a bag of blueberries to see where they actually came from, you’ve likely crossed paths with Alma Pak International LLC. They are a ghost in the supply chain. You don’t see their name in neon lights, but they are the hands behind the scenes for massive private labels like Great Value and Tipton Grove. Honestly, most people have no idea that a single facility in a tiny Georgia town basically keeps the nation’s smoothie habit alive.
Alma, Georgia, calls itself the "Blueberry Capital of Georgia." It's not just a marketing slogan; it’s a lifestyle. And Alma Pak International LLC is the engine room of that town.
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The Reality of the "International" Tag
The name sounds corporate. Sterile. It evokes images of glass skyscrapers and boardroom meetings. But the truth is way more grounded. Alma Pak International LLC is essentially a high-tech extension of the Georgia dirt. Formed officially as an LLC in early 2017—though its predecessor, Alma Pak, Inc., goes back to 2001—the company is a packing and processing hub for the region's massive blueberry harvest.
They do two main things: fresh packing and IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) processing.
IQF is the secret sauce. Instead of freezing a giant block of fruit into a "berry brick," each blueberry is frozen separately. It’s why you can pour a handful into your oatmeal without using a chisel. They source from local family farms in Bacon County and surrounding areas, which makes them a middleman, sure, but a vital one for the local economy.
Why You Saw Them in the News (The Recall Reality)
Let’s address the elephant in the room. If you Googled the company recently, you probably saw "Recall" or "Listeria" in the snippets. This is where most people get the wrong idea about how the food industry works.
In June 2025, Alma Pak International LLC initiated a voluntary recall of about 12,000 pounds of organic blueberries. The FDA eventually labeled it a Class I recall. That sounds terrifying. A Class I rating means there’s a "reasonable probability" of serious health consequences. But here is the nuance people miss: the system actually worked.
The contamination—Listeria monocytogenes—was found during routine internal testing.
The berries were caught before they hit retail shelves. They were headed to a single customer in North Carolina in bulk 30-pound boxes. Most companies that survive decades in the produce business, like Alma Pak, have these hair-trigger safety protocols. It’s not about the mistake; it’s about the catch. Back in 2019, they had a similar run-in with Norovirus in frozen blackberries. It happens in the world of raw agricultural products. Soil is messy. Nature is unpredictable.
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The Global Reach of a Small Town
Don't let the rural Georgia address fool you. They aren't just shipping to North Carolina. Shipping records show they deal with a massive international web. We’re talking imports and exports involving:
- Colombia and Peru: Sourcing fruit when Georgia is out of season.
- Spain and Chile: Constant movement of frozen commodities.
- Costa Rica: Pineapples and other IQF tropicals.
They are a "Golden Goose" in the food service contractor world. While their revenue growth might be slower than a flashy tech startup, their market share is rock solid. They hold a significant chunk—some estimates put it over 20%—of specific niche food service segments. Basically, if you’re eating a blueberry muffin at a hotel chain or a school cafeteria, there’s a statistically high chance Alma Pak handled the fruit.
What it’s Like on the Ground
Jerome Crosby is a name you’ll see on the corporate filings. He’s the registered agent and a key figure in the Georgia blueberry scene. This isn't a faceless multinational. It's a grower-owned operation at its core. That’s a huge distinction.
When a company is owned by the people who actually grow the crops, the priorities shift. They aren't just looking at the quarterly dividend; they’re looking at the survival of the farm next door.
The Logistics Maze
The facility is located at 230 Pineview Road. It’s about an hour and a half from the Savannah port. This is strategic. Being close to the Georgia Ports Authority allows them to flip from domestic Georgia berries in the summer to South American imports in the winter.
This "counter-seasonal" model is the only way a packing house survives. If they only worked during the Georgia harvest (roughly April to July), the machines would sit cold for eight months. By acting as an international hub, they keep the lights on year-round.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
Whether you're a consumer or a business partner, here is the "so what" of the Alma Pak story.
1. Don't Panic Over Recalls
When you see a Class I recall from a company like this, it usually means their quality control (QC) is actually functioning. The fact that it was caught at the bulk stage (the 30lb boxes) rather than the grocery bag stage is a win for food safety.
2. Check the Lot Codes
If you handle bulk food, always keep the lot numbers handy. For the most recent 2025 event, the codes were 13325 G1060 and 13325 G1096. If you aren't a commercial baker, you likely never saw these.
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3. Support the "Middle"
Alma Pak represents the "mid-tier" of American agriculture. They aren't a backyard garden, but they aren't a global conglomerate like Nestlé. They are the infrastructure that allows small Georgia farmers to compete on a global stage.
4. Transparency Matters
If you're sourcing ingredients for a business, look for companies that use platforms like TraceGains. Alma Pak is active there, sharing their 3rd party audit reports and allergen control policies. That’s the gold standard for B2B trust.
The next time you see a "Product of USA/Chile" label on a bag of frozen berries, remember the quiet giants in places like Alma. They are the reason you can have a "fresh" smoothie in the middle of a January blizzard. It's a complex, dirty, high-stakes game, and they've been playing it since 2001.