Timeline
In 1979, Apio, Inc. was founded by five celery growers in the Santa Maria Valley. The name “Apio” means “celery” in Spanish. By 1982 Apio built its own prototype broccoli-packing trailer, a revolutionary concept considering that all broccoli was field packed into bins. As a result, Apio grew to one of the largest broccoli shippers in the world.
In 1990, Apio received worldwide exposure when President George Bush banned broccoli from Air Force One. In response, Apio sent a truckload of broccoli to the White House and asked the President to reconsider his decision. The gift resulted in an avalanche of press coverage that came to be known as “broccoligate.”
In 1997, Apio developed a full fresh-cut category including bagged vegetables and party trays processed at its Guadalupe, CA facility under the Eat Smart® brand.
Landec Corporation, a specialty materials company based in Menlo Park, California, acquired Apio in 1999. Through this acquisition, Apio became part of a publicly traded company and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Landec. Nick Tompkins, a founder and chief executive officer of Apio, remains in his position at Apio and joined Landec as their Senior Vice President.
