NAICS 311411 Quarterly Industry Report
Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311411Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311411 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from USDA ERS[6] fruit and vegetable processing data, FDA[9] frozen food safety standards, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for frozen produce processing enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the frozen fruit, juice, and vegetable manufacturing industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing (NAICS 311411) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing frozen fruits, frozen vegetables, frozen fruit juices, and frozen vegetable juices. These operations receive fresh produce from agricultural suppliers, process it through washing, trimming, blanching, and individual quick-freezing (IQF) or block-freezing methods, and package products for retail, foodservice, and industrial food manufacturing distribution channels. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing separately from canning (NAICS 311421) and fresh-cut produce operations, recognizing the distinct freezing technology and cold chain logistics requirements.
The U.S. frozen fruit and vegetable industry benefits from consumer demand for convenient, nutrient-preserved produce with extended shelf life compared to fresh alternatives. The USDA Economic Research Service[6] tracks fruit and vegetable processing volumes, per-capita consumption patterns, and import competition data that define industry demand dynamics. Production is concentrated in states with major agricultural output including California, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, and the Pacific Northwest, with freezing operations positioned near growing regions to minimize time from harvest to processing.
Business valuations for frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturers center on processing line capacity and IQF equipment condition, cold storage warehouse infrastructure, raw product procurement relationships with growers, and customer contract portfolios with retail grocery, foodservice, and food manufacturing buyers. Appraisers evaluate yield ratios (finished product weight relative to raw input), freezing efficiency, cold chain integrity systems, branded versus private-label product mix, and the seasonal production patterns driven by regional harvest calendars.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across frozen vegetables, frozen fruits, frozen juice concentrates, and organic frozen product segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311411
- Comparable transaction data from recent frozen food processor acquisitions, plant sales, and brand portfolio transactions
- Market analysis covering frozen produce consumption trends, organic frozen growth, foodservice demand, and import competition dynamics
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for plant managers, processing line operators, cold storage workers, and seasonal harvest staff
- Industry risk assessment including crop yield variability, import competition, cold storage energy costs, and consumer fresh produce preference shifts
- Regulatory compliance overview covering FDA FSMA preventive controls, frozen food grading standards, pesticide residue testing, and organic certification
- Capital expenditure profiles for IQF freezers, blanching systems, sorting and grading lines, cold storage facilities, and packaging equipment
- Production metrics including pounds per line hour, yield percentages, freezing efficiency, cold storage capacity use, and cost per pound benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 3114 |
| NAICS Industry | Frozen Food Manufacturing | 31141 |
| National Industry | Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing | 311411 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311421 | Fruit and Vegetable Canning | Fruit and vegetable canning and drying operations that share raw produce procurement relationships and agricultural processing infrastructure with frozen food manufacturers |
| 493120 | Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage | Refrigerated warehousing and storage facilities providing cold chain logistics and frozen product storage services to frozen food manufacturing operations |
| 424480 | Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers | Fresh fruit and vegetable merchant wholesalers that supply raw produce to frozen food processors and distribute fresh products through parallel market channels |
| 311991 | Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing | Perishable prepared food manufacturing operations purchasing frozen fruits and vegetables as ingredients for prepared meal, smoothie, and ready-to-eat food production |
| 424420 | Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers | Packaged frozen food merchant wholesalers distributing frozen fruit and vegetable products to retail grocery, foodservice, and institutional customer accounts |
| 115114 | Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) | Postharvest crop activity providers performing sorting, grading, and cooling services on fresh produce destined for frozen food processing facilities |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 20.9% | 41 |
| 2 | Washington | 12.8% | 25 |
| 3 | Michigan | 8.2% | 16 |
| 4 | Oregon | 8.2% | 16 |
| 5 | Florida | 6.6% | 13 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 6.1% | 12 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 5.6% | 11 |
| 8 | Idaho | 5.1% | 10 |
| 9 | New York | 4.1% | 8 |
| 10 | Maine | 3.6% | 7 |
% Of Establishments
0%
21%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
56
Total SBA Loans
$37.5M
Total Loan Volume
$670K
Average Loan Size
12 yrs
Average Loan Term
10.71%
Average Interest Rate
1,088
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing (NAICS 311411) with a size standard of 1,000 employees. Regional frozen food processors and specialty frozen produce companies within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[12] and government contracting preferences supporting production expansion. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[13] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[14] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnwest Bank | 16 | $27.2M | $1.7M |
| 2 | Byline Bank | 8 | $6.6M | $825K |
| 3 | BayFirst National Bank | 8 | $1.2M | $150K |
| 3 | Lendistry SBLC, LLC | 8 | $1.2M | $150K |
| 5 | Frandsen Bank and Trust | 8 | $1.1M | $141K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing?
Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Manufacturing is classified under NAICS code 311411, covering frozen produce processing per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for frozen food manufacturing?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 311411 at 1,000 employees, qualifying eligible frozen produce manufacturers for small business lending and government contracting preferences.
How are frozen food manufacturing businesses valued?
Valuations center on processing line capacity, IQF equipment condition, cold storage infrastructure, grower procurement relationships, customer contract stability, and branded versus private-label product mix per industry benchmarks.
What is IQF freezing?
Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) rapidly freezes individual pieces of fruit or vegetables to maintain texture, nutrition, and appearance quality, producing free-flowing frozen products preferred for retail and foodservice applications.
What regions lead frozen produce manufacturing?
California, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Pacific Northwest states lead production, with plants positioned near growing regions per USDA NASS[15] crop production and food manufacturing location data.
What risks affect frozen produce manufacturers?
Major risks include crop yield variability from weather events, energy costs for freezing and cold storage, import competition from lower-cost producing countries, consumer shifts toward fresh produce, and food safety recall exposure.
How does import competition affect the industry?
Imports of frozen fruits and vegetables from China, Mexico, and other countries have increased competitive pressure on domestic processors, particularly in commodity frozen vegetable categories per USDA ERS[6] trade data.
What food safety requirements apply?
Manufacturers must comply with FDA[9] FSMA preventive controls, frozen food grading standards, pesticide residue monitoring, pathogen testing protocols, and cold chain temperature documentation requirements.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]USDA Economic Research Service ers.usda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]FDA fda.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
- [15]USDA NASS nass.usda.gov
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