Moonlight Cos. recognized Ben Clay, a founding member of its sales team, as he marks 30 years with the company. During that time, the California stone fruit industry transformed from a market of over 200 shippers into a category dominated by a small number of scaled operators, with Moonlight emerging as a leading supplier.

Clay joined Moonlight in its early days, working alongside founder Russ Tavlan when the company was among the smallest players in a crowded California market. Over the past three decades, he has remained constant through the company’s growth, helping support retail programs and customer relationships across multiple seasons and market cycles.

“When I started, there were hundreds of stone fruit shippers in California,” said Clay. “What’s allowed Moonlight to grow is delivering consistency to our retail partners — and that takes a team. From the field to the packinghouse to sales, everyone has a role in delivering for the customer.”

Known internally as a steady, service-first operator, Clay is deeply engaged throughout the season, remaining involved to help ensure Moonlight’s’ programs run smoothly. His experience across decades of varying crop conditions has also made him a key resource for younger members of the team, offering perspective on how each season develops and where challenges may arise.

“One of the reasons I’ve stayed with Moonlight for 30 years is the pride of being part of a company that’s continued to grow in an industry that has seen so much attrition,” said Clay. “That begins in the field, where we focus on harvesting at a uniform maturity, and following one standard across our growing regions. At Moonlight we call that 'One Grower, One Standard,' and that carries through the packinghouse resulting in a reliable, premium-grade pack. When you can deliver that level of uniformity across multiple regions and throughout the season customers know what they’re going to get week after week.”

“Ben represents a mindset that’s been part of Moonlight from the beginning,” said Ben Vived, chief marketing officer of Moonlight Cos. “He’s experienced every kind of season the industry can throw at you, and he understands that consistency comes from execution across the entire system. That perspective is something he’s passed on to the next generation of our team.”

This model has also enabled Moonlight to deliver across its multi-region “7 Months of Summer” growing window, providing customers with continuity from early-season districts through late-season supply. Maintaining that level of dependability at scale remains a defining characteristic of the company’s program.

Today, that same approach continues across Moonlight’s broader organization, supported by a deep and experienced sales team working in coordination with farming and packing operations.

As Moonlight looks ahead, Clay’s 30-year milestone reflects more than individual longevity. It highlights the operational continuity, institutional knowledge, and long-term customer relationships that have helped define the company’s growth across three decades of change in the California stone fruit industry.