CALAVO GROWERS INC

CALAVO GROWERS INC false 0001133470 0001133470 2026-05-22 2026-05-22 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 22, 2026 CALAVO GROWERS, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) California 000-33385 33-0945304 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 1141-A Cummings Road , Santa Paula , California 93060 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (805) 525-1245 (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions: ☒ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) ☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock CVGW Nasdaq Global Select Market Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company ☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ Item 8.01. Other Events. On May 22, 2026, Calavo Growers, Inc. (“Calavo”) and Mission Produce, Inc. (“Mission Produce”) issued a joint press release announcing that antitrust clearance has been obtained from Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission (Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica, or “COFECE”) for the previously announced pending acquisition of Calavo by Mission Produce (the “Mergers”), and that, subject to continued satisfaction of all conditions, Calavo and Mission Produce currently expect that the Mergers will be consummated on May 28, 2026. The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the joint press release issued by Calavo and Mission Produce, dated May 22, 2026, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein. Important Information About the Mergers and Where to Find It In connection with the Mergers, Mission Produce filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (File Number 333-294128) (the “Registration Statement”) that includes the joint proxy statement of Calavo and Mission Produce and that constitutes a prospectus of Mission Produce (the “Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus”), which has become effective. Each of Calavo and Mission Produce may also file with or furnish other relevant documents to the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding the Mergers. This document is not a substitute for the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus or Registration Statement or any other document that Calavo and Mission Produce may file with the SEC. The definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus was mailed to shareholders of Calavo and stockholders of Mission Produce on or about March 25, 2026. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CALAVO AND MISSION PRODUCE ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS INCLUDED WITHIN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE MERGERS OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO), BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING CALAVO, MISSION PRODUCE, THE MERGERS AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about Calavo, Mission Produce and the proposed transaction through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Calavo may be obtained free of charge on Calavo’s website at www.ir.calavo.com/financial-information/sec-filings or, alternatively, by directing a request by mail to Calavo’s Corporate Secretary at Attention: Corporate Secretary, Calavo Growers, Inc., 1141A Cummings Road, Santa Paula, CA 93060. Copies of the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Mission Produce may be obtained free of charge on Mission Produce’s website at www.investors.missionproduce.com/financial-information/sec-filings or, alternatively, by directing a request by mail to Mission Produce’s Corporate Secretary at Attention: Corporate Secretary, Mission Produce, 2710 Camino Del Sol, Oxnard, CA 93030. Participants in the Solicitation Calavo, Mission Produce, and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in any solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about Calavo’s directors and executive officers is available in Calavo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2025, as amended. Information about Mission Produce’s directors and executive officers is available in Mission Produce’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2025, and proxy statement for Mission Produce’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on February 24, 2026. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus, and all other relevant materials filed or to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when such materials become available. Investors should read the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. No Offer or Solicitation This Current Report on Form 8-K is not intended to be, and shall not constitute, an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements that, within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “seek”, “could”, “estimate”, “judgment”, “targeting”, “should”, “anticipate”, “goal” and variations of these words and similar expressions, are also intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this Curr