Timothee Sallin, Co-CEO of IMG Enterprises, was the keynote speaker at the South Lake Chamber Breakfast on July 15. 

A graduate from New College of the University of South Florida, Timothee earned a degree in Economics and International Studies. He is also a graduate from the University of Florida’s Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

His mom and dad, Michel and Veronique Sallin founded IMG Enterprises in 1979. The mission was and still is to contribute to the health and quality of life of people, by providing beautiful and functional landscapes, nutritious and great-tasting fruit, all produced with respect for the environment.

IMG Enterprises ia comprised of three operational entities: Cherrylake, IMG Citrus and Legacy Wilderness Preserve. Each company is unified through their commitment to Florida agribusiness and its common ownership and leadership under IMG Enterprises.

Cherrylake has over 1,800 acres of containerized trees, shrubs and palms in production in addition to being a trusted leader in the Central Florida market in landscape construction and maintenance. It is the third largest ornamental tree farm in the Southeast U.S. and one of the fastest-growing landscape contractors in the country. 

IMG Citrus, which is located in Indian River County,  operates as one of Florida’s largest distributors of fresh citrus with over 11,000 acres of grapefruit, tangerine and orange groves. 

 

Cherrylake Wilderness Preserve is in the process of becoming a 1,300-acre Mitigation Bank. The goal is to restore and enhance the land back to its natural habitat. The land will be protected for eternity through a conservation easement that will be used to offset adverse impacts to existing wetlands, resulting in a net gain of protected land.

He is a board member of 1000 Friends of Florida, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving special places and building better communities. 

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“Investing in agri-business is always risky, but citrus is even more so today because of Greening,” said Michel Sallin, IMG Citrus President. “We know Florida grapefruit is the best in the world. We believe in this industry and we believe in Florida grapefruit. A solution to Greening will be found, and when that day comes, we’ll be ready.”

While Greening remains a threat, IMG Citrus’ production model utilizes innovative practices and technologies to keep groves productive and profitable.

“We have adopted a more aggressive approach to production, focusing on high density, and super high density planting methods to help combat Greening by creating a more controlled environment,” said Brian Randolph, Director of Grove Production. “In the new grove, we can optimize nutrient and water management, a critical factor for production in a Greening environment. This level of precision not only helps keep the trees healthy, but it’s more environmentally sustainable by reducing water use and nutrient runoff.”

An additional 397 undeveloped tree acres will be home to the company’s new grove redevelopment project, with 273 acres of citrus trees to be set within high-density planting blocks predicted to produce mature fruit within three years, and 124 acres of trees set within existing traditional blocks.

Their high-density planting methods were fine-tuned over the last three years at their groves at Cherrylake, IMG Citrus’ sister company, also founded and operated by the Sallin family.

“Cherrylake was originally all citrus groves,” explains Sallin. “We lost nearly everything during the freezes in the 1980’s. Rather than shut everything down, we adapted by turning our Cherrylake property into a thriving, ornamental tree farm that focuses on landscape construction and maintenance, while moving our citrus operation down south to where it is today. 75 Acres of land at Cherrylake is still dedicated to citrus, where we have been able to explore new varieties and high-density planting methods.”

The newly-acquired Happy Food Grove also contains a 300-acre reservoir and is home to native wildlife including deer, wild turkey, alligators, Roseate Spoonbills, and Blue Herons.

“We are stewards of our environment, and we diligently protect the quality of our air, land, and water,” said  Sallin. “We realize that we do not own our land, but rather, we are borrowing it from future generations. Our best management practices help ensure our horticultural practices are in line with this philosophy.”

In addition to the land purchase, the acquisition also included transitioning 17 existing grove employees to IMG Citrus.

“It was important to us that we did not disrupt the operation of the grove, and more importantly, that the employees felt reassured that IMG Citrus would continue to provide them the opportunity to work and grow within the company,” said Joaquin Perez, Human Resources Manager. “Our goal is to make the transition as easy and as seamless as possible, and I think we’ve done that well through open communication. Employees have kept their same positions, they’re just part of a bigger family now.”

About IMG Citrus:

IMG Citrus is a second-generation citrus grower, packer, marketer, and shipper in Vero Beach, Florida, with over 9,000 acres of productive AGland. Family owned and operated for over 35 years, IMG Citrus was founded by Michel and Veronique Sallin. Born and raised on a French farm, Michel has a genuine love for sustainable agriculture and an entrepreneurial spirit that fuels a passion for using the most innovative processes and technologies. Today, a second generation of family-operators is involved and working alongside the most professional industry leaders that make up the IMG Citrus team.

About Happy Food:

Happy Food is IMG Citrus’ primary consumer brand and is marketed in North America, Europe, and Asia. The brand features bright colors, happy fruit faces, and is used to pack citrus including grapefruit, oranges, and mandarins grown in Florida, as well as South America and Mexico. Since its launch in 2013, Happy Food continues to re-energize the citrus aisle with a cheerful, contemporary brand that promotes a healthy, happy lifestyle.

About IMG Enterprises:

IMG Enterprises, the holding company for IMG Citrus, is a Florida owned and operated family agri-business with divisions in citrus, real estate, mitigation banking, and landscape construction. The mission of IMG Enterprises is to manage a sustainable enterprise rooted in the land which benefits its family, employees, and community while having a positive impact on the environment. With over 500 employees, the company ranks 31st on the list of Top Privately Held Companies by the Orlando Business Journal.

The post “The Future of Florida Citrus is Bright” – IMG Enterprises Adds 4,000-Acre Grove To Citrus Portfolio appeared first on South Lake Tablet.