Our history is one that recounts visionary leadership, dedication to agriculture and a relentless ability to create opportunity out of adversity. Founded by Michel and Veronique Sallin in 1979, IMG Enterprises grew into a multi-million dollar holding company for Cherrylake, IMG Citrus and Legacy Wilderness Preserve.
Our Heritage
1979
Michel – born and raised on an apple farm in France – visits Florida specifically to seek investment opportunities in agriculture. He and his wife Veronique decide to invest in Florida Citrus with the purchase of 72 acres of Hamlin Juice Orange groves in Manatee County.
1980
Living in California, they begin a brokerage business to sell Florida grapefruit in France and develop a business relationship with a packinghouse in Clermont, FL to supply the fruit. They begin by marketing a modest 10,000 cartons in their first year; within 7 years, they will become the largest export broker of Florida grapefruit with 1.4 million cartons marketed.
1981
Michel and Veronique continue to purchase citrus groves in Florida. This time, they invest in Lake County with a 260 acre grove on Cherry Lake. In 1982, they decide to move to Florida with their 3 young children in order to grow and expand their Florida Citrus business.
1983 & 1985
The young company suffers a devastating setback when the freezes of 1983 and 1985 destroy all of its groves. The founders look to rebuild and diversify, and explore the production of a variety of agricultural crops including pecans, peaches, blueberries, apples, kiwis and grapes. In the end, they choose to venture into containerized tree farming on the Groveland property, while relocating the citrus operation to warmer Indian River County.
1985
Cherry Lake Tree Farm is born in the month of November as the first trees are planted on 10 acres of the frozen citrus land in Lake County Florida. From the very start, the farm demonstrates an unwavering commitment to growing the highest quality container trees, using the most advanced technologies, the best and the newest cultivars, and to developing high performance root systems through root enhancement techniques.
1999
IMG Citrus purchases a Packinghouse in Vero Beach, Florida. With this acquisition, IMG Citrus officially becomes a fully integrated citrus company that grows, packs and markets fresh Florida citrus around the world.
2000
IMG Citrus begins marketing oranges and tangerines in addition to its traditional grapefruit product. IMG Citrus also begin marketing for the first time on the domestic market.
2003
Cherry Lake Tree Farm launches its Cherry Select outsourcing program to expand the products and services it offers, and further diversify the company.
2004
The summer of 2004 brings four land falling hurricanes to the state of Florida. Charlie, Frances, Jean and Ivan make history for the state as well as for the company. Cherry Lake Tree Farm lays down the farm three times in order to protect the inventory from hurricane winds. IMG Citrus and the Florida citrus industry in general experience major setbacks with the spread of canker throughout the state via the hurricane winds, and with a dip in fruit yields in the grove.
2005
IMG purchases the Panther grove in Hendry county. It mostly produces oranges and is the southern-most grove that IMG Citrus owns. This 1,260 acre grove will later become the site of our mitigation bank, Legacy Wilderness Preserve.
2005
IMG Enterprises further diversifies with the creation of LegacyScapes. This division of Cherry Lake Tree Farm is founded to provide full service landscape construction to targeted end users as well as to showcase Cherry Lake product on the most prestigious construction projects in Florida.
2006
Palm production begins at the Ft Pierce Farm on 624 acres of vacant citrus land following a short-lived canker eradication program imposed by the State. The addition of palms to Cherry Lake Tree Farm’s product line allows the company to become a more integrated solution to our customer’s plant needs.
2008
The first effects of the great economic recession have stifled sales of the small container material to other tree farms. Cherry Lake converts the TQL small container tree operation to a shrub production operation for Cherry Lake Tree Farm. Cherry Lake Tree Farm is now positioned to be a leader in trees, palms and shrubs.
2013 – 2014
IMG Citrus is ranked as one of the largest Packinghouse in the state of Florida and continues to invest in state of the art facilities with the addition of a Brix sensor Smart Line. This allows IMG Citrus to provide value-added marketing and launch the Sweeter Sorts brand. IMG Citrus expands the refrigerated storage capacity with the addition of a 13,000 square foot facility capable of holding 1,200 pallets.
2014
IMG Enterprises continues to be recognized as a leader in its community. The Orlando Business Journal ranks IMG Entperises #4 Top Family Owned Business and #28 Largest Privately Held Company. The Orlando Sentinel recognizes IMG as a Top 100 Company for Working Families.
2016
Cherry Lake Tree Farm and LegacyScapes merge together under one unified brand: Cherrylake. Cherrylake still has the same quality product and service, the same passionate employees and the same pledge to provide beautiful, functional and sustainable landscapes.
We embrace our history, and embrace both the successes and the challenges that have made it our own. Each of our challenges has allowed us to emerge stronger, more diversified, and more resilient. Each of our successes has allowed us to celebrate the accomplishments of our team, and prepare ourselves for the next set of challenges.