Golden State Citrus Packers on growth curve
Golden State Citrus Packers on growth curve
When Visalia, CA-based Golden State Citrus Packers -- a Sunkist affiliate with the Visalia Citrus Packing Group -- begins the new fall season, it will throw the switch on the latest in packing technology in its expanded and improved quarters that will better serve its growers and customers, especially in the area of specialty citrus.
"Basically, we'll be able to handle everything from small, fragile mandarins to the largest pummelos and everything in between," Visalia Citrus Packing Group President and Sunkist board member Randy Veeh said in a statement. "We added a new specialty line and made changes to our orange line to operate more flexibly to meet the needs of consumers and buyers and to better serve our growers."
The company decided to invest in the upgrades now, Mr. Veeh said, "in order to be ready when the large number of new easy-peeling varieties comes on- line in the next few years. The industry is changing, and we are committed to being on the cutting edge."
Sunkist's sales performance for the specialty varieties was strong in 2006, Mr. Veeh added, with revenues for varieties such as clementines, Moros and Cara Caras up 19 percent from 2005 and 51 percent from 2004. In addition to Sunkist's sales team, Mr. Veeh credited much of this success to the work of Jim Meeks, who heads the specialty variety program out of Sunkist's Visalia office.
Cliff St. Martin, general manager of the Woodlake-area plant, said in the release that the packinghouse was closed in March to accommodate the reconstruction project. When it reopens in the fall, there will be 140,000 square feet under cover, including additional cold storage and the latest in packing machinery.
The new stand-alone specialty packingline, with two sizers, is dedicated to the safe handling of all specialty varieties including all the easy-peeler types, Cara Caras, bloods, minneolas and pummelos.
Flexibility and new technology has been added to the orange line to better serve Navel and Valencia growers.
"We've added flexibility here, with a 50 percent increase in capacity and more variety in our bagging and packaging capability," Mr. St. Martin said in the release. "We'll be in a better position to fill our on-demand orders that are sales-driven."
"Basically, we'll be able to handle everything from small, fragile mandarins to the largest pummelos and everything in between," Visalia Citrus Packing Group President and Sunkist board member Randy Veeh said in a statement. "We added a new specialty line and made changes to our orange line to operate more flexibly to meet the needs of consumers and buyers and to better serve our growers."
The company decided to invest in the upgrades now, Mr. Veeh said, "in order to be ready when the large number of new easy-peeling varieties comes on- line in the next few years. The industry is changing, and we are committed to being on the cutting edge."
Sunkist's sales performance for the specialty varieties was strong in 2006, Mr. Veeh added, with revenues for varieties such as clementines, Moros and Cara Caras up 19 percent from 2005 and 51 percent from 2004. In addition to Sunkist's sales team, Mr. Veeh credited much of this success to the work of Jim Meeks, who heads the specialty variety program out of Sunkist's Visalia office.
Cliff St. Martin, general manager of the Woodlake-area plant, said in the release that the packinghouse was closed in March to accommodate the reconstruction project. When it reopens in the fall, there will be 140,000 square feet under cover, including additional cold storage and the latest in packing machinery.
The new stand-alone specialty packingline, with two sizers, is dedicated to the safe handling of all specialty varieties including all the easy-peeler types, Cara Caras, bloods, minneolas and pummelos.
Flexibility and new technology has been added to the orange line to better serve Navel and Valencia growers.
"We've added flexibility here, with a 50 percent increase in capacity and more variety in our bagging and packaging capability," Mr. St. Martin said in the release. "We'll be in a better position to fill our on-demand orders that are sales-driven."
