Sunny Valley International expands its horizons
Sunny Valley International expands its horizons
New Jersey is a big part of Sunny Valley International’s operation, but the Glassboro, NJ-based full-service marketer of domestic and imported fruit, is just as proud of what it produces in other parts of the country too.
The 37-year-old company, a leading supplier of New Jersey peaches and nectarines, and one of the largest suppliers of New Jersey blueberries, will start its New Jersey blueberry and stone fruit programs this month.
“We market blueberries and peaches for the grower-members of the Jersey Fruit Cooperative, New Jersey’s oldest and largest fruit cooperative,” said Tom Beaver, director of sales and marketing for Sunny Valley. “All of these growers are family farms, and the commitment they make when joining the co-op is to pack only the best quality fruit to ensure that the premium association customers have with the Jersey Fruit label remains intact.
“The co-op includes New Jersey’s largest organic blueberry grower, Big Buck Farms,” continued Beaver. “We also market New Jersey stone fruit for Larchmont Farms, New Jersey’s largest stone fruit grower by volume. This summer, we are looking forward to exceptional New Jersey peach and blueberry crops. We should have strong supplies of blueberries from June 10th through the end of July.”
As important as New Jersey is, Sunny Valley officials are just as proud of what they are doing in other parts of the country. For example, its peach program is already underway in South Carolina.
“We’re fortunate to have a partnership with Dixie Belle, one of the largest growers on the east coast,” noted Beaver. “Dixie Belle is a multi-generational family farm, run by Jimmy and Matt Forrest. They are outstanding growers and packers, producing premium stone fruit from mid-May through mid-September. Right now, we are on target for a full crop of excellent quality Southeastern peaches and are looking forward to partnering with our customers for outstanding promotions throughout the summer.”
Out west, Sunny Valley is also involved in programs in the Pacific Northwest. “We are also excited to be adding a Washington State organic blueberry program, partnering with Oasis Farms,” Beaver added. “This grower is esteemed for the quality of fruit that they pack, and we are thrilled to be introducing their fruit to our customers up and down the East Coast. This program will start in mid-June and carry us through mid-September and allows us to further augment our existing domestic blueberry programs by being a full-line supplier to all of our customers.”
Beaver said that optimal growing conditions have helped all three growing regions stay on pace for full production. The lack of adverse weather, he noted, also ensures that quality and consistency will be outstanding throughout the season. “With strong retail promotions, we know that customers will be coming back for more all summer long once they buy our products,” he said.
There is no doubt that the Sunny Valley of today is a lot different than the company was at its founding. Beaver said that, at that time, the company was primarily an importer of Chilean table grapes. “Our portfolio has evolved significantly over the years,” he said. “We’re still a major player in imports, having established ourselves as a leader in berries, grapes, pip fruit and citrus. We’ve also evolved into one of the largest shippers of domestic fruit, including Southeastern and New Jersey stone fruit and blueberries from domestic growing regions across the country, chief among them New Jersey.”
The secret to the Sunny Valley’s success? Beaver said that the company has always viewed its role as being a partner with its customers. That means spending a great deal of time in the spring collaborating with retail partners to identify opportunities for promotions throughout the summer and help retailers move as much fruit as possible.
“We’ve also continued our commitment to innovative packaging solutions,” Beaver said. “When we partner with a customer, we commit ourselves to doing everything we can to supplying them with a full line of customer packing solutions to ensure that they can differentiate themselves from their customers at point of sale. This includes everything from private labels and top-seal blueberry containers, to tray pack and bagged peaches.”
