I’ve spent most of my career in the juice business long enough to see cycles come and go, brands rise, and markets shift. What’s happening now in the juice industry isn’t unusual, but it is meaningful: consolidation is accelerating, and it’s changing how decisions get made and how relationships work.

Consolidation brings capital, efficiency, and scale. In many cases, those are positive developments. Larger platforms can invest in infrastructure, broaden distribution, and improve consistency. But consolidation also changes the nature of partnerships, often in ways that aren’t immediately obvious.

As organizations grow, decision-making tends to become more centralized. Product portfolios are streamlined and become more cost sensitive. Flexibility gives way to standardization. Lead times lengthen. Relationships that were once personal have become more process driven. None of this is inherently negative, it’s simply how large, well-run organizations operate.

The challenge is that juice isn’t a static product, and foodservice, hospitality, and regional markets don’t operate on a one-size-fits-all model. Menus change. Volumes fluctuate. Seasons matter. And when something goes wrong, accountability and responsiveness matter even more.

Because of that, many customers and distributors are becoming more intentional about how they structure their supplier relationships. Rather than relying exclusively on a single, scaled provider, they’re looking for balance, pairing larger platforms with partners who remain close to production, close to the market, and able to adapt as real-world conditions change.

What often gets lost in consolidation is that brands which were once truly independent are now frequently operated for scale and efficiency through the same systems, processes, and production networks. While those brands may look different on the shelf, operationally they can be very similar behind the label. That reduces true diversification and increases exposure if an issue occurs anywhere in the production or distribution chain.

True diversification comes from maintaining relationships with independent operators who run distinct facilities, make independent decisions, and are accountable for their own outcomes. Keeping that mix in place doesn’t just add flexibility, it protects customers and distributors in ways a one-stop platform cannot. Independent operators also serve as a natural check in a consolidated market, helping preserve service levels, quality standards, and resilience when scale-driven systems are under pressure.

This shift isn’t about rejecting consolidation. It’s about recognizing its tradeoffs and managing risk thoughtfully. In a more centralized industry, flexibility tends to become more valuable, not less. The ability to respond quickly, adjust, and support customers without layers of approval can be the difference between protecting a relationship and losing one.

As consolidation continues, the brands and partners that endure won’t necessarily be the biggest. They’ll be the ones that understand how scale and proximity coexist, and how trust is built not through programs or portfolios, but through consistency, accountability, and showing up when conditions aren’t perfect.

The juice industry will keep evolving. Ownership structures will change. What won’t change is the importance of relationships that are built to adapt alongside the market, rather than be reshaped by it.

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With freshness,

Matt Roseberg