First Cut Produce Inc.

First Cut Produce Inc., a for-profit produce distributor headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, supplies fresh fruits and vegetables to the Department of Agriculture as a prime contractor under total small business set-asides, holding a 100% prime award footprint with no subcontract work.

First Cut Produce is a small business competing exclusively under total small business set-asides. The company operates as a national distributor and importer of fresh fruits and vegetables, with operations spanning multiple facilities including locations in Byron Center, Michigan and Princeton, North Carolina. All 44 awards in the recent footprint carry total small business designations, and the company does not compete on full-and-open solicitations. Activity concentrates in primary NAICS 511512 (Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing) and PSC Fruits and Vegetables.

The vendor's customer base is entirely within the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Washington Office drives the largest share of awards by both count and dollar value, with 24 definitive contracts and delivery orders totaling $5 million in combined potential value. The Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Kansas City Commodity Office accounts for 6 awards valued at $4.5 million. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service holds 13 awards valued at $750 thousand. The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service Specialty Crops Program issued one award valued at $2.3 million. These four entities account for 100% of the award portfolio.

First Cut Produce's recent work centers on delivery of specific commodity classes: mixed fresh produce, apples in various packaging formats (3-pound bags and 40-pound cartons), oranges in 34–39-pound containers, grapefruit, nectarines and peaches in 2-pound bags, sweet potatoes in 3-pound packages, and mixed vegetables including tomatoes, lettuce, and carrots. Representative prime awards include a $531,671 firm fixed-price contract awarded September 17, 2024 by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service for fresh apples in boxes and bags supporting domestic food assistance programs; a $474,172 contract awarded July 26, 2022 by the same office for mixed fresh produce from the Byron Center facility; a $442,422 delivery order awarded June 14, 2024 for fresh nectarines and peaches supporting food donation programs; a $299,202 delivery order awarded July 9, 2024 for grapefruit; and a $231,923 contract awarded March 3, 2023 for mixed fresh produce including tomatoes, lettuce, and carrots for delivery to over 100 locations across 38 states and territories. All awards carry firm fixed-price terms and specify FOB origin delivery to multiple locations nationwide, with completion dates ranging from quarterly to semi-annual periods.

The vendor holds two indefinite delivery contracts as parent vehicles. Indefinite Delivery Contract 123J1424D0067, awarded July 16, 2024 by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Washington Office with a ceiling of $299,202, covers fresh grapefruit commodities through October 31, 2024 and permits multiple awards for various small business set-asides and HUBZone preferences. Indefinite Delivery Contract 123J1424D0092, awarded June 16, 2024 by the same office with a ceiling of $442,422, covers fresh stone fruits including nectarines and peaches through January 31, 2025 and does not use set-asides, though the underlying solicitation indicated potential for various small business designations.

Activity contracted from 2022 through 2024, peaking at 9 awards in 2024, before declining to 3 awards in 2025 and 2 awards through mid-2026. Recent awards obligate $11.8 million against a combined potential value of $12.5 million (94% obligated). No recompete activity is identified in the source material, as definitive contracts and delivery orders have completion dates through mid-2026 rather than clustered expiration points.