Sunkist Growers, Incorporated
Encyclopedia
Sunkist Growers, Incorporated is a citrus
grower's non-stock membership cooperative
composed of 6,000 members from California
and Arizona
. It is headquartered in the Sherman Oaks
district of Los Angeles
.
by P. J. Dreher and his son, the "father" of the California citrus industry, Edward L. Dreher (1877–1964). The exchange soon included growers and groves in Pomona
, Riverside
and San Dimas
in Los Angeles County
, and Santa Paula
, Saticoy
, Fillmore
, Rancho Sespe, Bardsdale
and Piru
in Ventura County
; by 1905, the group represented 5,000 members, 45% of the California citrus industry, and renamed itself the California Fruit Growers Exchange. It adopted the "Sunkist" name in 1908 for its highest quality orange
s, and so was the first to brand fruit.
Currently representing about 6000 members, Sunkist is a not-for-profit corporation, with all profits from the exchange returned to the growers. Sunkist is the largest marketing cooperative in the world's fruit and vegetable industry, and is one of the 10 largest marketing cooperatives in America.
Sunkist is the official fresh fruit of Six Flags
.
The Sunkist brand is on more than 600 products in over forty-five countries on five continents, usually fruit-flavored products or vitamins. Some examples include:
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
grower's non-stock membership cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
composed of 6,000 members from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It is headquartered in the Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California
Sherman Oaks is an affluent district in the San Fernando Valley area of the city of Los Angeles, California. In contrast to much of the Valley, the area is relatively urbanized, with commercial skyscrapers along Ventura Boulevard as well as scattered throughout...
district of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
History
Formed in 1893 as the Southern California Fruit Exchange in ClaremontClaremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
by P. J. Dreher and his son, the "father" of the California citrus industry, Edward L. Dreher (1877–1964). The exchange soon included growers and groves in Pomona
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
, Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
and San Dimas
San Dimas, California
San Dimas is a city located in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 33,371. The city historically took its name from San Dismas Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains above the northern section of present day San Dimas...
in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, and Santa Paula
Santa Paula, California
Santa Paula is a city within Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 29,321 at the 2010 census, up from 28,598 at the 2000 census...
, Saticoy
Saticoy, California
Saticoy is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Ventura County, California. It lies in the Santa Clara River Valley, south of the intersection of Wells Road and the Santa Paula Freeway, on the east side of Ventura, and north of the Santa Clara River at the head of the delta...
, Fillmore
Fillmore, California
Fillmore is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 15,002 at the 2010 census, up from 13,643 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, Rancho Sespe, Bardsdale
Bardsdale, California
Bardsdale is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, USA. It is located in the orange blossom and agricultural belt of the Santa Clara River Valley, south of the Santa Clara River and on the north slope of South Mountain. The closest town is Fillmore, which is on the north side...
and Piru
Piru, California
Piru is a small unincorporated census-designated town located in eastern Ventura County, California, in the Santa Clara River Valley near the Santa Clara River and Highway 126, about seven miles east of Fillmore and about west of Interstate 5. The population was 2,063 at the 2010 census, up from...
in Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
; by 1905, the group represented 5,000 members, 45% of the California citrus industry, and renamed itself the California Fruit Growers Exchange. It adopted the "Sunkist" name in 1908 for its highest quality orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
s, and so was the first to brand fruit.
Currently representing about 6000 members, Sunkist is a not-for-profit corporation, with all profits from the exchange returned to the growers. Sunkist is the largest marketing cooperative in the world's fruit and vegetable industry, and is one of the 10 largest marketing cooperatives in America.
Sunkist is the official fresh fruit of Six Flags
Six Flags
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
.
Sunkist trademark licensing
- Sunkist soft drinks including the orange-flavored "Sunkist Orange Soda" and other fruit-flavored sodas, are produced by Dr Pepper Snapple GroupDr Pepper Snapple GroupDr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. is an American soft drink company, based in Plano, Texas.It was spun off from Britain's Cadbury Schweppes, on May 5, 2008, with trading in its shares starting on May 7, 2008...
under license from Sunkist Growers; see Sunkist (soft drink)Sunkist (soft drink)Sunkist is a brand of primarily orange flavored soft drinks launched in 1979.Sunkist was first licensed by Sunkist Growers to the General Cinema Corporation, the leading independent bottler of Pepsi-Cola products at the time...
. (US) - "Sunkist Fruit GemsFruit GemsSunkist Fruit Gems are Half Dollar sized pectin candies.They are a soft round candy made from powdered sugar with fruit flavors. Fruit Gems are made by Jelly Belly, which purchased prior manufacturer, The Ben Myerson Candy Company, under license for Sunkist...
" are a soft fruit candy produced by Jelly Belly under license from Sunkist. Jelly Belly acquired the former producer, Ben Myerson Candy Company. (US & Canada) - "Sunkist Fruit Snacks", "Sunkist Fruit & Grain Bars", and "Sunkist Baking Mixes" are marketed by General MillsGeneral MillsGeneral Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
(US) - "Sunkist California Pistachios & Almonds" and "Sunkist Almond Accents" are products of Paramount Farms (US & Canada)
- "Sunkist NFC Orange Juice and Juice Drinks" are products of A. Lassonde (Canada)
- "Sunkist Fruit First Fruit Snacks" are products of Ganong Bros.Ganong Bros.Ganong Bros., Limited is Canada's oldest candy company; it was founded by James and Gilbert Ganong in 1873 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick where it is based to this day. The primary product is boxed chocolates...
(Canada) - "Sunkist Vitamin C & Supplements" are products of WN Pharmaceuticals (Canada)
- Sunkist juice and juice drinks can be found in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, several Persian Gulf countries, Belgium, Malta, Austria, and other countries.