Limoneira Company operates as an agribusiness and real estate development company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three divisions: Agribusiness, Rental Operations, and Real Estate Development. It grows, processes, packs, markets, and sells lemons. The company also grows avocado, oranges, and specialty citrus and other crops, including Moro blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, Minneola tangelos, Star Ruby grapefruit, pummelos, pistachios, and wine grapes. It has approximately 6,100 acres of lemons planted primarily in Ventura, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, and San Bernardino Counties in California; and Jujuy, Argentina, as well in Yuma County, Arizona, and La Serena, Chile; 800 acres of avocados planted in Ventura County; 1,000 acres of oranges planted in Tulare County, California; and 900 acres of specialty citrus and other crops. In addition, the company rents residential housing units and commercial office buildings, as well as leases approximately 500 acres of its land to third-party agricultural tenants. Further, it is involved in organic recycling operations; and the development of land parcels, multi-family housing, and single-family homes. The company markets and sells its lemons directly to food service, wholesale, and retail customers; avocados to a packing and marketing company; oranges, specialty citrus, and other crops through Sunkist and other third-party packinghouses; and wine grapes to wine producers. Limoneira Company was founded in 1893 and is headquartered in Santa Paula, California.
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Here are 1-2 brief analogies for Limoneira (LMNR):
1. A Weyerhaeuser for California agricultural land and water, specializing in lemons and avocados.
2. Dole Food Company for lemons and avocados, with significant California land and water assets.
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- Fresh Lemons: Cultivates, packs, and markets fresh lemons globally.
- Fresh Avocados: Grows and markets fresh avocados.
- Other Fresh Citrus & Agricultural Products: Includes oranges, mandarins, and other specialty citrus varieties.
- Water Sales: Manages and sells water rights and supplies primarily for agricultural use.
- Real Estate Development: Develops and sells residential and commercial properties from its land holdings.
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Limoneira (LMNR) primarily sells its agricultural products, such as lemons and avocados, to other businesses rather than directly to individuals. Therefore, it operates predominantly on a business-to-business (B2B) model.
According to Limoneira's latest annual report (10-K filing for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2023), one major customer accounted for a significant portion of its total revenue, representing 16.5% in 2023 and 10.3% in 2022. However, the name of this specific customer is not publicly disclosed by Limoneira for competitive reasons.
Beyond this unnamed major customer, Limoneira's broader customer base consists of the following categories of companies:
- Wholesale Distributors: These companies purchase produce in large volumes to then sell to smaller retailers, restaurants, or other institutional buyers.
- Retail Grocery Chains: Large supermarket chains and grocery stores that sell directly to consumers. While specific names are not disclosed by Limoneira, these would include major national and international grocery retailers.
- Foodservice Distributors: Companies that supply food products, including fresh produce, to restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and other food service establishments.
As the specific names of these customer companies are not publicly disclosed by Limoneira, individual company names and their symbols cannot be provided.
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Harold Edwards, President & CEO
Harold Edwards has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Limoneira Company since November 2003 and has been a director of the company since 2009. He is a fifth-generation member of a farming family associated with Limoneira, which was founded in 1893. Prior to joining Limoneira, Mr. Edwards was president of Puritan Medical Products, a division of Airgas Inc. He also held management positions with Fisher Scientific International, Inc., Cargill, Inc., Agribrands International, The Ralston Purina Company, and Mission Produce, Inc. His international experience includes living and working in Italy as the CFO of Ralston Purina Italia and in the Philippines as Managing Director of Agribrands International’s Philippine operations. He also served as Chief Financial Officer of Mission Produce for about five years, during which he helped to engineer a successful merger. Mr. Edwards is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College and holds an MBA from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird).
Mark Palamountain, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Mark Palamountain was appointed as Limoneira's Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Corporate Secretary, effective January 8, 2018. He joined Limoneira in 2011 and previously served as the company's Senior Director of Agricultural Operations since 2014 and Director of Business Development and Business Integration from 2012 to 2014. Before joining Limoneira, Mr. Palamountain was the CEO and founder of Perpetual Power LLC, a renewable energy company. He also held senior positions at Broadpoint Securities as Managing Director, Head of NASDAQ Trading from 2003 to 2008, where he managed a team of 25 traders. Additionally, he was a Principal at Thomas Weisel Partners from 2001 to 2003 and a trader at JPMorgan Chase from 1997 to 2001.
John Carter, Vice President of Citrus Operations
John Carter transitioned to the role of Vice President – Citrus Operations in February 2022. He joined Limoneira Company in 2010 to lead the company's direct sales and marketing program, serving as Director – Global Sales and subsequently as Vice President – Global Sales. Mr. Carter has spent his entire career in agribusiness, holding positions in sales, marketing, supply chain, business development, and general management at Chiquita Brands (1992–2007) and SunOpta (2008–2010). He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce, and the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business.
Anthony Ecuyer, Vice President, Packing & Technology
Anthony Ecuyer serves as the Vice President of Packing & Technology at Limoneira.
Amy Fukutomi, Vice President of Compliance & Corporate Secretary
Amy Fukutomi serves as the Vice President of Compliance & Corporate Secretary for Limoneira Company, a position she assumed effective August 1, 2022, after resigning as a director of the company.
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Limoneira (LMNR) faces a clear emerging threat from intensifying climate change impacts, particularly prolonged and severe drought conditions in California. This increasing water scarcity is leading to heightened regulatory pressure on water resources, potentially resulting in more stringent allocations and usage restrictions, even for companies holding significant water rights. Such systemic environmental and regulatory shifts could fundamentally challenge the long-term economic viability of traditional water-intensive agriculture, such as lemon and avocado farming, in the region, necessitating a significant re-evaluation or pivot of their core agricultural business model.
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Limoneira's main products and services include lemons, avocados, and real estate development and rental operations.
Lemons
- The global lemon market is expected to reach a value of $8.5 billion by 2025.
- U.S. retail lemon sales were $879.5 million for the 52-week period ending January 28, 2024.
Avocados
- The global avocado market size is estimated at $19.56 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $26.54 billion by 2030.
- The U.S. avocado market size was estimated at $3,685.8 million in 2024 and is expected to reach $6,091.9 million by 2035.
Real Estate Development and Rental Operations
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Expected Drivers of Future Revenue Growth for Limoneira (LMNR)
Over the next 2-3 years, Limoneira (LMNR) anticipates several key drivers for future revenue growth:
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Avocado Acreage Expansion and Increased Production: Limoneira plans a significant increase in avocado production, with 700 acres of non-bearing avocados projected to become full-bearing over the next two to four years, potentially nearing a 100% increase in avocado-producing acreage. The company aims to reach 2,000 acres by 2027, with all orchards fully bearing by 2030, which is expected to drive substantial EBITDA and agribusiness revenue growth.
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Real Estate Development Monetization: The company's real estate joint ventures, particularly Harvest at Limoneira, are performing ahead of schedule. Limoneira expects to receive approximately $155 million in distributions from its real estate projects over the next five fiscal years. Additionally, the company is exploring development options for its Limco Del Mar property, which could provide further upside.
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Sunkist Marketing Partnership: A strategic partnership with Sunkist Growers for citrus sales and marketing is anticipated to generate $5 million in annual cost savings and EBITDA enhancements beginning in fiscal year 2026. This collaboration aims to improve cost structure, enhance market access, and increase operational efficiencies in the lemon segment.
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Increased Penetration in Lemon Foodservice and Quick-Service Restaurant Channels: Limoneira is actively expanding its presence in the foodservice and quick-service restaurant (QSR) channels for its lemon products, with further market penetration expected in fiscal year 2025.
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Water Asset Monetization: The company foresees meaningful monetization transactions related to its water assets in fiscal year 2025.
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Share Repurchases
- Limoneira's Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program on March 14, 2025, authorizing the company to repurchase up to $30 million of its outstanding common stock.
- The program's initiation reflects management's strong confidence in the company's strategic direction and a belief that the current share price significantly undervalues Limoneira's opportunities.
Share Issuance
- No significant public share issuance events by Limoneira were identified over the last 3-5 years.
Inbound Investments
- No significant third-party investments directly into Limoneira were identified over the last 3-5 years.
Outbound Investments
- The company is undertaking a strategic initiative to expand avocado production by 1,000 acres through fiscal year 2027, anticipating a near 100% increase in avocado-producing acreage.
- Limoneira is exploring a significant new housing development on the Limco Del Mar Ranch in Ventura County, with estimated entitlement and development costs of $3-5 million over 3-5 years.
Capital Expenditures
- Limoneira reported capital expenditures of approximately $2.4 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 and $4.08 million for the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.
- Prior reported capital expenditures include approximately $10.31 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023 and $9.41 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025.
- A primary focus of capital expenditures is the expansion of avocado production by 1,000 acres through fiscal year 2027, with newly planted acreage maturing over the next two to four years.