Flourishing lettuce farm ready for new owners

A hydroponic lettuce farm that supplies much of the lower North Island is for sale, ready for new owners to add dressing by expanding capacity and tapping new markets.

Salad Brothers is a flourishing lettuce-growing and marketing agribusiness based near State Highway 3 in Waverley, South Taranaki. Founded by two local families in early 2023, it has quickly become a preferred lettuce supplier across Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatū.

The company’s self-contained more than one-hectare facility, with hydroponic greenhouses and an insulated packhouse, produces bagged and whole-head lettuces across six lettuce varieties, which it supplies to restaurants, caterers, supermarkets and wholesalers.

Possibilities for expansion into markets such as Wellington and Auckland, and into other salad greens, give new owners the potential to put a rocket under future earnings.

Building on a more than 30-year history of lettuce production at the Waverley site, Salad Brothers sprouted from the remnants of a business that stopped operating during Covid-19 restrictions.

Two husband-and-wife teams – longtime Waverley residents Marianne Archibald and Chris Carrick, and Marianne’s brother Garth Archibald and his wife, Kristine Bell, from Wellington – bought and restarted the operation as Salad Brothers in January 2023. They comprehensively upgraded run-down infrastructure and systems for the 21st century, while keeping the best aspects of the original lettuce farm.

The land, buildings and business behind Salad Brothers are now being offered to buyers as a freehold going concern through Bayleys Real Estate.

Bayleys Whanganui salesperson Amie Rowan said the operation had gone from strength to strength, with net profit nearly tripling in the 2025 financial year.*

“Salad Brothers is a profitable, fully equipped agribusiness in a prime location, offering an incoming owner a dominant regional brand with proven earnings and strong growth potential.

“Over the past three years, the owners have invested heavily in modernising infrastructure, refining hydroponic growing systems, and building a robust customer base. These efforts, combined with excellent customer service and delivering the freshest, longest-lasting lettuce, have quickly made Salad Brothers the go-to brand for many restaurants, supermarkets and wholesale food distributors from New Plymouth to Palmerston North.

“Salad Brothers has demonstrated strong financial performance in its first two full years of operation, with consistent revenue growth, improving margins, and a lean cost structure. The business is profitable, cash-flow positive, and well-positioned for scale,” said Rowan.

Bayleys Whanganui has been appointed exclusively to manage the sale of Salad Brothers, located at 16 Lupton Street, Waverley, opening the way for buyers to secure the business and assets, or the shares, with price by negotiation.

The approximately 1.1-hectare freehold site contains numerous structures, including tunnel houses and associated hydroponic infrastructure, a packhouse, chiller, staff facilities, and a two-bedroom house of some 110 square metres.

The sale also includes a swathe of specialised plant, equipment and other assets, including refrigerated delivery trucks, brand and marketing assets, and intellectual property such as a special fertilizer recipe and growing, harvesting and packaging techniques designed to maximise crop yield and lettuce shelf life.

Featured in national, regional and horticultural trade media, Salad Brothers is a trusted brand in Taranaki and Manawatu, backed by five-star Google reviews, a quality website, social media and a loyal customer base.

Daily operations are supported by an established team, with an opportunity for an owner-operator to oversee and drive the business. The current owners take care of high-level functions such as finance and administration, sales and customer relations, strategy, operational planning, maintenance oversight and staff management, as well as company governance. Beyond the owners, the operation equates to around two full-time-equivalent core staff, four regular part-timers, plus casual workers in peak season.

Bayleys Whanganui managing director John Bartley said Salad Brothers offered new owners a “turnkey” operation with all assets, certifications, and customer relationships in place.

“In a short time, Salad Brothers has evolved from a restart venture into a thriving regional agribusiness, with steady upward sales trends and a reputation for reliability. The founding team’s strategic vision of “preferred supplier status” in their market has begun to materialise, and the foundation is solidly in place for further growth and a smooth transition to new ownership.

“With the facility comprehensively upgraded and modernised by its current owners, the focus can now shift from building the operation to optimising and scaling it. Over $500,000 in improvements, including a climate-controlled greenhouse, automated irrigation, and a new three-phase power system, are poised to drive 50 percent-plus production growth with minimal extra investment.

“The site still has unused land and system capacity, meaning growth can be achieved largely by using existing assets more intensively. Growth opportunities also exist by way of expanding the product range, expanding distribution, increasing efficiencies and optimising pricing.

“With a strong brand, proven profitability, modern infrastructure, and clear growth pathways, the company is well-positioned for continued success. Whether the buyer is an investor seeking returns or a strategic acquirer looking to expand market share, Salad Brothers delivers a rare combination of quality, scalability, and reputation,” Bartley said.

• Detailed business financial information is available to potential buyers upon signing a non-disclosure agreement.