HLB Specialties will return to the 2026 IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show with a larger booth designed to reflect the company’s growth and reinforce its position as a specialist in tropical and exotic produce.
The Fort Lauderdale, FL-based company exhibited in a 20-by-20-foot booth during its first 16 years at the show. After space limitations forced it to scale back in 2019, HLB is preparing to reintroduce a larger presence at this year’s event in Orlando.
The expanded footprint represents more than additional exhibit space. It reflects the company’s growth, maturity and leadership in the tropical fruit category.
“We are excited to return with a larger presence that reflects our company’s continued importance in the tropical fruit marketplace across North America,” said Melissa Hartmann de Barros, director of communications for HLB Specialties. “This new booth represents not only where we are today, but also the exciting direction in which we are headed.”
HLB’s exhibit will showcase its leading specialty fruits, including dragon fruit, drinking coconuts, guava, rambutan, lychee, mangosteen and papayas. The company plans to use the show to highlight its core offerings, introduce new packaging concepts and reinforce its role as a dedicated supplier of niche tropical produce.
Drinking coconuts, which HLB Specialties introduced to a national audience at last year’s show, remain a major focus of the company’s business-development strategy.
Since the 2025 event, HLB has expanded its drinking-coconut programs with additional retailers and wholesalers, including retail accounts in several South American countries. The company’s peeled and polished presentation has helped establish it as a distinctive offering in the category.
HLB said it is the only importer managing several large-scale retail programs for the product on a year-round basis. Its experience with sourcing, handling and supply-chain management allows it to maintain quality and consistency throughout the distribution process.
“Our peeled and polished drinking coconut is truly unique, and we are proud to be the only importer managing several large-scale retail programs year-round,” Hartmann de Barros said. “Our extensive experience with the product, combined with our handling and program expertise, allows us to successfully manage them throughout the whole supply chain.”
The company expects drinking coconuts to remain an important growth category as retailers look for distinctive tropical products that offer visual appeal, convenience and a fresh consumption experience.
HLB’s strategy is centered on maintaining its identity as a tropical-fruit specialist rather than attempting to compete as a broadline produce supplier.
“We specialize in the niche tropical fruit category and nothing else,” Hartmann de Barros said. “It is our sole focus, and therefore the most important part of the service we provide to our retail and wholesale clients. We don’t try to be everything to everyone or manage hundreds of products. We focus on a select group of tropical fruits and the customers we serve within this category.”
The company carries a carefully selected group of tropical fruits and evaluates potential new items before adding them to its portfolio. Products must be able to withstand the logistics and handling required to reach the market while delivering the quality and eating experience expected by customers.
“We are very specific about the fruits we carry,” Hartmann de Barros said. “Before we decide to offer a particular SKU, we make sure it is an item that can withstand the logistics and handling required to bring it to market successfully, while still delivering the quality and eating experience our customers expect.”
HLB also points to its long-term grower relationships as a key competitive advantage. Many specialty crops are produced by a limited number of experienced growers and can be difficult to cultivate consistently. Strong partnerships are therefore essential to maintaining reliable supply and quality.
The company’s narrow focus also allows its team to develop expertise in import requirements, handling procedures and the challenges associated with tropical produce.
“Tropical fruit is what we do, and our clients are at the center of that focus,” Hartmann de Barros said.
Together with its European sister company, HLB Specialties’ sourcing network now extends to 13 countries across four continents, with sales into Europe, North America and Asia. The company has also expanded its supply into South America after being approached by a Latin American multinational that had followed HLB’s success in North America.
Hartmann de Barros said HLB views its global network as increasingly important in an environment shaped by weather variability.
“Maintaining close relationships with our suppliers and a diversified sourcing network is essential in today’s market, where geopolitical events and supply chain disruptions can quickly impact availability,” she said. “Having multiple reliable sources allows us to pivot when necessary and keep our customers supplied.”
Multiple sourcing regions allow HLB to shift supply when necessary and help maintain continuity for retail and wholesale customers. The company also said changing weather patterns over its 37 years in business have required it to adjust growing regions for certain products that were once sourced reliably from a single area.
HLB Specialties CEO Andres Ocampo recently attended Fruit Logistica Asia in Hong Kong, where he visited several Asian suppliers. Hartmann de Barros said maintaining direct relationships with growers and suppliers remains an important part of its sourcing strategy.
The company’s expanding geographic reach also is creating new commercial opportunities. In addition to strengthening business in North America, HLB Specialties and HLB Tropical Food GmbH are developing relationships with customers in South America and continuing to serve buyers in Europe and Asia.
Looking ahead, HLB Specialties plans to pursue growth through expanded customer relationships, new markets, additional packaging options and continued development of its tropical portfolio.
The company will introduce new pouch presentations for select products featuring extended-shelf-life technology designed to help retailers improve sell-through.
The new designs feature vibrant graphics intended to attract attention at retail while providing a flexible packaging option for specialty produce.
“We are growing in different directions, always with our clients in mind,” Hartmann de Barros said, adding that the pouches are intended to combine practical benefits with improved retail presentation.
She added that the pouches use 78 percent less plastic than traditional rigid clamshell packaging, addressing a growing consumer demand for more sustainable packaging.
“The vibrant designs are eye-catching and help attract consumers’ attention at the retail level,” she said.
HLB plans to reveal additional products and initiatives at the IFPA show, and the larger booth space will accommodate a broad group of team members from sales, marketing and other departments to meet with retailers, wholesalers and industry partners.
The Orlando location is particularly convenient for the company, whose headquarters are in Fort Lauderdale. HLB said it is looking forward to attending with a large group and using the event to strengthen existing relationships and develop new opportunities.
“Our new booth will reflect our growth and, more importantly, our tropical roots and focus on exotic specialties,” Hartmann de Barros said.
Source: The Produce News
