Bergin Fruit and Nut Company was founded in 1951 by Ray Bergin Sr. with just 15,000 dollars, 10,000 of which was provided by his wife through an advanced inheritance. Always a family company, Bergin’s original staff was comprised of Ray Sr as President, his wife as Secretary – Treasurer, and his son Ray Jr. as the only Salesman. John, another of Ray’s sons, also put in afternoons at the Bergin’s Minneapolis Produce Market location (now the site of the Target Center).
In 1952 Bergin started its fresh cut division run by Tom Sr., another one of Ray Sr.’s sons. At this point the companies’ customers included hotels, clubs and restaurants. Within five years the company had grown large enough to service southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
In 1973 Bergin began supplying local co-ops with bulk roasted nuts. At this point Bergin had outgrown its facilities and moved to 740 Kasota. More equipment was brought in to this new location to help reinforce the nut sales. Bergin label packaged goods and nut butters gave way to gravity bins for retailers, leading to the eventual expansion into North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
Ever the family business, there are currently three generations of Bergin’s working at the company. A company which employs over 150 people and services the United States. The list of Bergin’s customers includes large grocery chains, small co-ops, local restaurants, institutions, and manufacturers. In 2006 Bergin moved to a state of the art facility on 2000 Energy Park Drive in St. Paul. This facility has a climate controlled warehouse which allows us to provide fresh product to our customers.
We have an experienced sales team who specialize in providing hands on service to our customers. Our purchasing department is capable of sourcing obscure and difficult to find product. Our product development department focuses on making sure our customers receive exactly what they are looking for. Our production staff is well trained in food safety procedures that insure our product is safe for consumption.