Fruit Growers Supply

What Fruit Growers Supply does

Fruit Growers Supply Company (FGS) is a vertically integrated agricultural supply cooperative founded in 1907 by Sunkist Growers, headquartered in Valencia, California, and currently serving as what the company describes as the oldest non-profit supply cooperative in the United States. The cooperative operates across six interconnected business lines: (1) three retail and irrigation supply centers in Woodlake, Porterville, and Santa Paula, California, selling fertilizers, pesticides, power tools, harvesting supplies, packinghouse supplies, and workwear; (2) custom commercial irrigation system design, installation, and maintenance including drip, flood, jet, pump stations, filtration, and a water treatment preventative maintenance program; (3) a state-of-the-art corrugated packaging manufacturing facility in Ontario, California, equipped with Mitsubishi Evol, Gopfert, Ward BWP Grafix, and BHS Corrugator machinery producing over 1 billion square feet of boxes, sheets, and trays annually; (4) a postharvest division in Exeter, California, producing proprietary non-morpholine carnauba-based food-grade citrus wax and providing packinghouse machinery technical services to over 25 packing houses daily and more than 40 packing facilities across California; (5) wooden pallet manufacturing with ISPM-15 export-compliant options and a buy-back program; and (6) timber management on company-owned, SFI-certified timberlands in Oregon and Washington, harvesting 15–30 million board feet annually across conifer and hardwood species while planting approximately 400,000 seedlings per year.

FGS serves commercial growers, packers, and shippers of citrus, stone fruit, avocados, nuts, grapes, berries, watermelons, tomatoes, and row crops, originally exclusively for Sunkist and now open to the broader West Coast agricultural community. The business model combines walk-in retail sales, direct truckload manufacturing sales (by appointment at the Ontario corrugated plant), recurring postharvest chemical and maintenance service agreements with packing houses, professional-services pricing for custom irrigation projects, and one-time sales of timber and pallet products. Distribution spans from Watsonville, California, through Baja California, Mexico, into Nogales, Arizona, with the timber operations extending north into Oregon and Washington. Certifications include SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) 2022 Standard for timberlands and paper sourcing, AIB food safety certification for the corrugated facility, and ISPM-15 compliance for export pallets. The cooperative is owned by its grower members rather than external institutional investors, and currently employs 251–500 people.

Name

Fruit Growers Supply

Legal name

Fruit Growers Supply Company

Website

https://fruitgrowers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Fruit Growers Supply is a vertically integrated agricultural supply cooperative founded in 1907 by Sunkist Growers, serving West Coast commercial growers, packers, and shippers with retail supply centers, corrugated packaging manufacturing, custom irrigation design, postharvest wax and services, pallets, and timber management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Supply and Packaging

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Wholesale-Farm Product Raw Materials (5150), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Produce Distribution (CRAOABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tropical & Subtropical Fruit Orchards (Avocados, Mangoes, Bananas/Plantains, Pineapples, Papayas) (AFAGACAF), Stone Fruit Orchards (Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots) (AFAGACAC)

Keywords

• Agricultural supplies
• Corrugated packaging
• Irrigation systems
• Postharvest solutions
• Wooden pallets

Headquarters

HQ city

Valencia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Agricultural Supply Sales: Retail supply centers in Woodlake, Porterville, and Santa Paula, CA sell a wide range of agricultural supplies including fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation supplies, power tools, harvesting supplies, packinghouse supplies, and workwear. Walk-in retail model with inventory available for same-day purchase.
2. Corrugated Packaging Manufacturing: Custom corrugated packaging manufactured at Ontario, CA plant. Produces boxes, sheets, trays for citrus, stone fruit, tomatoes, avocados, watermelons, berries, grapes, nuts, row crops, and industrial boxes. Volume-based sales of truckload quantities to commercial growers. Includes up to 6-color printing, full die cutting, and pre-print capabilities. Incorporates approximately 60% recycled content.
3. Postharvest Solutions: Food-grade citrus wax and stone fruit oils sold to packing houses, along with packinghouse machinery maintenance, repairs, and technical services. Serves over 25 packing houses daily with coatings and chemicals supplied to more than 40 packing facilities across California.
4. Irrigation System Design and Installation: Custom commercial irrigation system design, installation, and maintenance services for small and large acreage farms. Includes pump stations, drip systems, jet systems, flood systems, filtration, and reservoirs. Free consultations offered. Water Treatment Preventative Maintenance Program available as ongoing service.
5. Pallet Manufacturing and Sales: Wooden shipping pallets manufactured and sold for domestic and export markets. ISPM-15 compliant. Includes buy-back program for used pallets. Sources from sustainable timber suppliers.
6. Timber Products: Conifer and hardwood timber products harvested from company-owned forests in Oregon and Washington. Products include Douglas Fir, White Fir, Red Fir, Noble Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine, Incense Cedar, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, and Big Leaf Maple. Annual harvest of 15 to 30 million board feet with approximately 400,000 seedlings planted annually.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fruit Growers Supply is an agricultural supply cooperative that manufactures and supplies corrugated packaging, wooden pallets, food-grade citrus wax, and timber products; operates retail Supply Centers stocked with farm inputs; and delivers custom irrigation system design, installation, and maintenance services. It serves commercial growers, packing houses, and shippers across the U.S. West Coast from California-based manufacturing facilities, retail centers, and Oregon/Washington timberlands.

Product overview

Fruit Growers Supply is an agricultural supply cooperative founded in 1907 by Sunkist Growers. The company operates a multi-service platform offering retail supply stores, irrigation systems, corrugated packaging, pallets, postharvest solutions, and timber management. The core offering is a vertically integrated supply chain solution for growers, packers, and shippers, combining retail supplies (fertilizers, pesticides, tools, harvesting equipment), custom manufacturing (corrugated packaging producing 1+ billion sq ft annually, wooden pallets, food-grade citrus wax), and services (irrigation system design and installation, packinghouse machinery maintenance, timber harvesting). The three retail Supply Centers in California (Woodlake, Porterville, Santa Paula) serve as the primary customer touchpoint for supplies, while specialized manufacturing facilities (Ontario for corrugated, Exeter for postharvest, West Coast forests for timber) handle production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Agricultural Supply Stores Walk-in retail Supply Centers in Woodlake, Porterville, and Santa Paula, CA offering a comprehensive range of agricultural supplies including fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation supplies, power tools, harvesting equipment, packinghouse supplies, workwear, and safety equipment for commercial growers.
• Irrigation System Design, Installation, and Maintenance Custom commercial irrigation system design, installation, repairs, and maintenance including pump stations, drip systems, jet systems, flood systems, filtration, and reservoirs, with free consultations and a Water Treatment Preventative Maintenance Program.
• Corrugated Packaging Custom corrugated boxes, sheets, and trays manufactured at the Ontario, CA plant for citrus, stone fruit, tomatoes, avocados, watermelons, berries, grapes, nuts, row crops, and industrial applications. Up to 6-color printing, full die cutting, multiple flute types (B, C, BC, E, EB, EC), pre-print capabilities, and approximately 60% recycled content. Serves commercial growers by truckload from Watsonville, CA through Baja California, Mexico, into Nogales, AZ.
• Wooden Shipping Pallets Sturdy wooden shipping pallets manufactured for agricultural and industrial customers for domestic and export markets, ISPM-15 compliant for international shipping, sourced from sustainable SFI-certified timber suppliers, with a buy-back program for used pallets.
• Postharvest Solutions (Food-Grade Citrus Wax and Packinghouse Services) Food-grade, non-morpholine, carnauba-based citrus wax coatings and stone fruit oils manufactured in-house at Exeter, CA, plus packinghouse machinery maintenance, repairs, and application equipment design and installation. Serves over 25 packing houses daily and supplies coatings and chemicals to more than 40 packing facilities across California.
• Timber Management and Sales Sustainable timber operations harvesting 15–30 million board feet annually from SFI-certified company-owned forests in Oregon and Washington, including Douglas Fir, White Fir, Red Fir, Noble Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar Pine, Incense Cedar, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, and Big Leaf Maple hardwoods. Approximately 400,000 seedlings planted annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 billion square feet of corrugated boxes, sheets, and trays handled annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sunkist GrowerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1907Founded in 1907 by Sunkist Growers to manufacture wood crates for California grown oranges. Originally served exclusively Sunkist's supply chain needs. Today the cooperative has expanded to serve all of agriculture while maintaining the Sunkist relationship. Sunkist originally created FGS as a separate agricultural supply company to buy and manage timberlands and mills, and to act as a purchasing agent for supplies.
• The American LegionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFruit Growers Supply is proud to partner with The American Legion, a venerable organization helping military families and veterans with food, shelter, and clothing. FGS sponsors the Legion's Annual Food Basket Holiday Drive in Kern County.
• Tulare County Farm BureaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeritage member at Platinum level (highest level of patronage) with the Tulare County Farm Bureau. The Farm Bureau is an advocate for the farming community that helps farmers unite as one voice for common interests.
• Western Growers AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate member and supporter of the Western Growers Association, an organization serving fresh produce growers and shippers in the western United States.
• Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)coreOthersFGS timberlands are certified under the SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) 2022 Standard. FGS is also a member of SFI and participates in programs ensuring sustainable forest management. Approximately 60% recycled content in corrugated boxes sourced from SFI-certified vendors.
• Jurupa Valley High School FFAminorOthersAnnual sponsor of the Jurupa Valley High School FFA fundraising program, which trains students in animal raising and sustainable farming and provides real-world opportunities for success.
• American Pistachio GrowersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner/affiliate organization supporting the agricultural community.
• California Fresh Fruit AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner/affiliate organization supporting the fresh fruit growing and shipping community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Nutrien Ag Solutions: Largest retail crop input distributor in the world, with a major California presence. Competes with FGS in fertilizer, pesticide, and basic ag supply distribution to commercial growers.
• Lindsay Corporation: Manufacturer of irrigation systems including Zimmatic center pivots and FieldNET digital irrigation. Comparable to FGS's custom irrigation design and installation business, particularly for drip and micro systems.
• Smurfit Westrock: Global paper and packaging leader formed by the WestRock–Smurfit Kappa merger. Directly comparable to FGS's Ontario corrugated operation in paper-based packaging for produce and industrial customers.
• Packaging Corporation of America: Large publicly traded corrugated packaging manufacturer with national footprint and significant West Coast operations. Highly comparable to FGS's corrugated division in product, customer base (agriculture and produce shippers), and manufacturing scale.
• Weyerhaeuser: Large publicly traded timber REIT managing millions of acres in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Comparable to FGS's Oregon and Washington timberlands in species mix, SFI-style sustainability practices, and end markets (pallets, packaging).
• Simplot Grower Solutions: Major U.S. agribusiness offering fertilizers, crop protection, and specialty products to western U.S. growers. Comparable to FGS on the retail and crop input distribution side of the business.

Others

• Sunkist Growers: FGS's founding parent and largest single customer relationship. While not a direct competitor, Sunkist's citrus grower base is the anchor for FGS's postharvest wax and corrugated packaging volumes.

Direct peers

• Helena Agri-Enterprises: U.S. distributor of crop inputs, specialty products, and ag services with strong presence in California and the Southwest. Comparable to FGS's retail supply and postharvest categories.
• Wilbur-Ellis: Privately held distributor of crop protection, fertilizers, and ag inputs across the U.S. West Coast. Most comparable to FGS on the retail ag-supply and irrigation side, serving the same California grower base.

Regional players

• Sun-Maid Growers of California: California agricultural cooperative with similar heritage, governance, and grower-member structure. Comparable as a West Coast agricultural cooperative with shared customers among California fruit growers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCN-H4nsuCGqqK8o2HtTr14g
• Facebookfacebook.com/fruitgrowerssupplyco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fruit-growers-supply-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/fruitgrowerssupply

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fruit Growers Supply