Dole plc, an Irish-American agricultural multinational corporation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, stands as one of the world’s largest producers of fruit and vegetables.

With a workforce of 37,400 full-time and seasonal employees, the company supplies approximately 300 products across 30 countries.

Dole operates through four primary segments: Fresh Fruit, which includes bananas and pineapples and accounted for about 35% of its 2020 revenues; Diversified Fresh Produce in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; Diversified Fresh Produce in the Americas and other world regions, which together contributed 37% of 2020 revenues; and Fresh Vegetables, responsible for 29% of 2020 revenues.

The company’s product range encompasses bananas, pineapples, grapes, berries, deciduous and citrus fruits, and vegetable salads.

Dole’s history traces back to the mid-19th century, rooted in the foundations of Castle & Cooke in 1851 and Charles McCann’s Fish, Fruit and Vegetable Market in Ireland during the 1850s. Castle & Cooke, established in Hawaii by Amos Starr Cooke and Samuel Northrup Castle, began as a sugar and logistics company.

In 1899, James Drummond Dole, a cousin of Sanford B. Dole—the governor of Hawaii who played a role in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii—moved to Hawaii and, two years later, founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (HPC).

The HPC made significant strides in the early 20th century, delivering its first shipment of canned pineapple in 1903 and pioneering technological advancements like the Ginaca Machine in 1911, which revolutionized pineapple canning.

In 1922, James Dole purchased the Hawaiian island of Lanai, transforming it into the world’s largest pineapple plantation. That same year, Castle & Cooke acquired a 33% stake in the HPC through a lease agreement. By the end of the 1920s, the company was responsible for growing more than 75% of all pineapples globally.

Parallel to these developments, the tropical fruit trade was burgeoning in Central and South America. The Standard Fruit and Steamship Company, established in 1906 by the Vaccaro brothers and Salvador D’Antoni, became a significant player in the banana trade.

The company, which had been shipping tropical fruits since 1899, rapidly expanded, building infrastructure such as rail and telephone lines at its plantations. In the 1920s, facing the devastation of the Gros Michel banana by Panama disease, Standard Fruit transitioned to cultivating the Cavendish banana, eventually becoming the largest banana producer in the world by the 1960s. In 1968, Standard Fruit merged with Castle & Cooke.

Meanwhile, in Ireland, the McCann family expanded their operations by opening a store in Dundalk in 1902. In the 1950s, they began consolidating with other companies, forming United Fruit Importers and later Fruit Importers of Ireland, which became publicly traded. This entity eventually evolved into Total Produce.

In 1985, billionaire David H. Murdock purchased Castle & Cooke, and in 1996, he split off Dole into its own company. Despite financial struggles in the early 2000s that nearly led to bankruptcy, Murdock rescued Dole and took it private in 2003. The company faced various challenges, including lawsuits related to pesticide use, but continued to grow and adapt.

Total Produce, spun off from Fyffes in 2006 as a fresh fruit and vegetable business, expanded its reach across Europe, becoming one of the largest produce companies on the continent. In 2018, Total Produce purchased a 45% stake in Dole Food Company, and in 2021, the two companies merged to form Dole plc. The newly formed entity began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2021.

Today, Dole plc operates on five continents, boasting 162 distribution and manufacturing hubs, 75 packhouses, 12 cold storage facilities, 5 salad processing plants, 11 vessels, and 114,000 owned acres of production.

The company’s vertically integrated supply chain extends globally, allowing it to grow, source, and supply a complete portfolio of the finest fresh fruits and vegetables. Dole’s products range from the familiar to the exotic and include extensive organic and value-added fresh-cut ranges.

At the helm of Dole plc is CEO Rory Byrne, with Carl McCann serving as chairman and Johan Lindén as chief operating officer. Following the merger with Total Produce, Dole plc maintains its world headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, and its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dole’s commitment to quality is deeply ingrained in its operations. The company’s mission is to make the world a healthier, more sustainable place. This mission is reflected in its dedication to delivering high-quality, farm-fresh foods and its efforts to innovate and bring products from around the world to consumers’ tables at the peak of freshness and taste. Dole emphasizes responsible farming practices, sustainability, and empowering consumers to experience healthy living.

The company’s values focus on being grounded, collaborative, innovative, passionate, and responsible. Dole cares about the planet, produce, partnerships, prosperity, communities, people, and health and nutrition. These priorities are pursued under categories like “For Nature,” “For People,” and “For Food,” detailed in their sustainability initiatives.

Dole plc leverages its global reach and resources, complemented by on-the-ground presence in key markets, to assure best agronomic and sustainable practices from field to fork. This approach allows the company to offer bespoke products and services, delivering a point of difference to customers and a competitive advantage in the marketplace. With a vertically integrated business model, Dole optimizes the supply chain, ensuring flexibility, reducing costs, adding value, and securing supply throughout the year.

Innovation plays a critical role in Dole’s operations. The company integrates innovative processes and products across its global operations, from new varieties and technologies on farms to packaging and promotional innovations in the marketplace. Dole believes that such innovation is essential in driving consumption of fresh produce and meeting contemporary consumer demands for healthy, convenient snacks and meal solutions.

The DOLE® brand, built on a promise of consistent excellence, is recognized and trusted by consumers worldwide. It symbolizes the best agronomic and sustainable practices and holds a special place in the hearts of consumers, particularly in the United States, where it is the most recognized brand of fresh produce. The brand represents quality and aligns seamlessly with prevailing health and wellness trends.

Dole’s extensive infrastructure and global reach allow it to deliver both the best produce from around the world and the finest home-grown fruits and vegetables. The company operates with approximately 37,400 employees across 30 countries, bringing global perspectives and local expertise to its business. This combination of global reach and local resources is difficult to replicate and represents an important point of difference for Dole plc in the marketplace.

Dole employs approximately 37,400 employees across 30 countries | Image: Courtesy of Dole

The company’s financials reflect its significant position in the industry, with 2022 revenues of $9.2 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $338 million, and total assets of $4.6 billion.

Dole holds the number one position for bananas in North America and is a leading player in several other fresh produce categories globally.