What Fowler Packing does

Fowler Packing is a third-generation, family-owned fresh produce grower-packer-distributor headquartered at a 75-acre all-inclusive campus at 8570 S Cedar Ave, Fresno, California, founded by Sam Parnagian in 1950. The company cultivates, packs, and distributes premium table grapes and citrus under two consumer brands—Samsons Grapes (operating since 1976, with conventional, specialty, and organic varieties) and Peelz Citrus (launched 2019, including navel oranges, mandarins such as DEKOZ and organic lines, and specialty varieties like Cara Cara and Blood Oranges). Operations are vertically integrated from farming through packaging, leveraging progressive cooling, defect-scanning systems, robotics, hi-tech drip irrigation, and 100% renewable energy via rooftop solar and a 10-acre solar farm.

The business operates a sales-led B2B wholesale model, selling fresh produce to major retail grocery chains and distributing through more than 20,000 stores globally when in season. Revenue is generated through wholesale produce distribution agreements with retailers at negotiated, non-publicly-disclosed pricing. The customer segments are primarily U.S. retail grocery chains (primary) and end consumers purchasing branded fruit at retail (secondary). The company also runs employee-facing amenities including two on-site cafeterias (Cocina de Samuel) offering free daily lunches, the Fowler Health Clinic providing free medical care to employees and families, and educational programs including language classes and career advancement courses. Fowler Packing is privately held by the Parnagian family with no disclosed outside capital, funding rounds, or institutional investors.

Name

Fowler Packing

Legal name

Fowler Packing Company

Website

https://fowlerpacking.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fowler Packing is a third-generation, family-owned fresh produce grower and packer in Fresno, California, producing premium table grapes and citrus under the Samsons Grapes and Peelz Citrus brands for wholesale distribution to more than 20,000 retail stores globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce

NAICS

Grape Vineyards (111332), Orange Groves (11131), Citrus (except Orange) Groves (111320), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Table Grape Vineyard Operations (Fresh-Market Quality, Clusters, Compliance) (AFAGAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Citrus Orchards (Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruit) (AFAGACAA), Citrus Packing Houses (AFAOAGAB), Post-Harvest Grape Handling & Logistics (Sorting, Bins, Transport to Winery/Packhouse) (AFAGAJAH), Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA)

Keywords

• Fresh produce supplier
• Table grapes
• Citrus fruit
• Wholesale produce distribution
• Grower packer shipper

Headquarters

HQ city

Fresno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Sales: Direct sales of branded fresh fruit (grapes and citrus) to retail grocery stores and consumers through major retail chains. Products distributed to more than 20,000 stores globally when in season. Revenue generated through wholesale produce distribution agreements with retailers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Fowler Packing grows, packs, and ships fresh table grapes under the Samsons Grapes brand and fresh citrus (navel oranges, mandarins, and specialty varieties) under the Peelz Citrus brand, selling wholesale to major retail grocery chains. Production occurs on a 75-acre all-inclusive campus in Fresno, California, with advanced cooling, defect-scanning, and robotics supporting quality control and year-round seasonal supply to 20,000+ stores globally.

Product overview

Fowler Packing is an agricultural company operating two primary product brands: Peelz Citrus (premium mandarins, oranges, and specialty citrus) and Samsons Grapes (a comprehensive selection of conventional and organic grape varieties). Both brands are available in over 20,000 stores across the globe when in season. The company operates a 75-acre all-inclusive campus with state-of-the-art facilities including advanced cooling, defect-scanning, and robotics technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Samsons Grapes Grape brand featuring green, black, and red seedless grapes plus specialty and organic varieties, grown by Fowler Packing for more than 50 years and sold wholesale to retail grocery chains.
• Peelz Citrus Brand Premium citrus brand umbrella offering navel oranges, mandarins (including DEKOZ and organics), and specialty varieties like Cara Cara and Blood Oranges; recognized as the fastest-growing and second-largest citrus brand nationally.
• Peelz Navel Oranges Sun-kissed, refreshing navel oranges available mid-October through June, marketed under the Peelz brand as a treat for any occasion and sold wholesale to retail grocery chains.
• Peelz Mandarins Sweet, seedless, and easy-to-peel mandarins including DEKOZ and organic varieties, California-grown and available November through June under the Peelz brand.
• Peelz Specialty Citrus Specialty citrus offerings including Cara Cara navels (December through May) and Blood Oranges (December through April), known for distinctive color and unique taste profiles, sold under the Peelz brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products available in more than 20,000 stores globally when in season
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sunkist Growers: Long-established California citrus cooperative with deep retail penetration across oranges, mandarins, lemons, and specialty citrus. Comparable in fresh citrus category and retail grocery distribution, but operates as a cooperative across many growers rather than as an integrated single-grower-shipper like Fowler.
• Dole Food Company: Global fresh produce grower-shipper with broad category exposure including citrus and table grapes sold through major retail worldwide. Comparable in scale, retail distribution model, and fresh fruit category breadth, though operating globally across many more product lines.
• Grimmway Farms: Largest carrot producer in the U.S. and a major grower of organic fresh produce, supplying national grocery and foodservice. Comparable as a vertically integrated California produce grower with national retail distribution, though diversified across vegetables rather than fruit.
• Driscoll's: Market-leading branded fresh berry supplier with strong national retail presence. Comparable as a family-influenced, brand-led California grower with deep retail grocery relationships and premium positioning, though in a different fresh fruit category.

Direct peers

• Sun-Maid Growers of California: Historic California grower cooperative best known for raisins but with growing fresh table grape programs. Comparable as a California grape grower with national retail brand presence and family/cooperative ownership history.
• Anthony Vineyards: Family-owned California table grape grower with similar multi-generational profile and B2B retail supply model. Directly comparable for Samsons Grapes on grape varieties, growing expertise, and California-based packhouse operations.
• Limoneira Company: Publicly traded California citrus grower-packager specializing in lemons, navels, and specialty citrus. Directly comparable in fresh citrus production, packhouse operations, and retail grocery distribution.
• Sun Pacific: California-based grower-packager behind the Cuties mandarin brand, the most direct Peelz competitor in branded mandarins. Comparable product mix (mandarins, navel oranges, grapes via Mighties) and similar California Central Valley footprint.
• Wonderful Citrus (Wonderful Company): Largest integrated fresh citrus grower in the U.S., with comparable navel orange, mandarin, and specialty citrus programs sold through major retail. Directly comparable category overlap with Peelz, though at materially larger scale and broader vertical integration.
• Family Tree Farms: California-based multi-generational grower-marketer of premium fresh fruit including table grapes and stone fruit. Comparable family-owned grower-shipper model and focus on branded premium fruit at major retail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FowlerPacking

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Fowler Packing