Irvine’s Buyproduce to Merge With Florida Software Maker

Buyproduce, an Irvine online marketplace for business buyers and sellers of produce, said Monday that it will merge with a Florida developer of agricultural software for produce growers.

Terms of the deal with Kirkey & Associates Inc. in Longwood, Fla., were not released.

Buyproduce said in a press release that it will acquire the assets of Kirkey, combine both companies’ employees and management and develop and maintain both companies’ products and solution sets. Kirkey Products Group will operate as a division of Buyproduce and will be led by its president, Patrick Kirkey.

Buyproduce will meld its technology and e-commerce expertise with Kirkey’s sales, operating and financial products. Kirkey has been servicing the produce industry for 18 years.

The company will maintain offices in Irvine and Orlando, Fla.

Buyproduce is backed financially by Sequoia Capital, Charter Growth Capital, Lehman Brothers and Nassau Capital.