Matt McLean is the CEO and Founder of Uncle Matt’s Organic, a company that makes certified organic juices using fruit grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. He launched the business in 1999 on just three acres in his father’s backyard in Florida, drawing on a family legacy of citrus farming. After selling the company to Dean Foods in 2017, he reacquired it in 2020 with a group of investors, restoring founding leadership and expanding its product line. Today, Uncle Matt’s Organic is the top-selling organic orange juice brand in the US, sold nationwide in thousands of stores.
From a humble citrus grove to grocery store shelves nationwide, one organic beverage brand is rewriting the story of how family values and farming heritage can fuel bold innovation. What does it take to turn a backyard passion project into a market leader in the crowded better-for-you beverage space?
Matt McLean, a fourth-generation citrus grower and organic farming advocate, believes it starts with staying rooted in purpose. He highlights how decades of agricultural wisdom from his father and grandfather helped him convert over 1,500 acres to organic citrus, forming a network of growers committed to sustainability. The result? A thriving, mission-driven brand that balances tradition with constant product innovation. Matt emphasizes that family wasn’t just a part of the business; it was the foundation.
On this episode of the Firebelly Social Show, Duncan Alney talks with Matt McLean, CEO and Founder of Uncle Matt’s Organic, about how family and farming heritage powered the rise of a leading organic beverage brand. They explore Matt’s early export roots, the transformation of Florida’s groves, and how innovation led to teas, lemonades, and functional juices. Matt also talks about becoming the official orange juice of the Orlando Magic.
