We’re reducing our workforce by over 40%. So if we’re doing more with less, obviously it has a significant positive impact on our efficiencies and ultimately our grower returns. That’s what it’s all about. Q. How is Blue Diamond responding to lackluster grower returns? We’re not satisfied with the 2024 returns. We know our growers aren’t satisfied with them either. We made sizable investments five-plus years ago to meet forecast consumption that ultimately never materialized. Obviously, there’s a cost when you make significant investments that hits the bottom line and ultimately grower returns. The other thing I would add, we got fat in terms of overhead structure because we were trying to ramp up to match anticipated growth. Again, no one had a crystal ball, and things changed very quickly. Since I took over as CEO, we’ve reduced our corporate headcount to 2018 levels, and that’s before we even close the Sacramento plant. This year was a miss in terms of grower returns, but we’ve launched a lot of changes to ensure we regain our industry-leading position. Closing Sacramento was a difficult but necessary decision because we know it is the right decision for the longer term. If we didn’t do this now, we’d ultimately pay the price down the road. For us, it’s a marathon and not a sprint. We strongly believe future returns will reflect the decisions that we made, but they’ll take time. Blue Diamond has been around for 115 years. Our balance sheet is strong, our brand is flourishing, our product is amazing, and our people have never been more fired up to deliver the best possible return to our growers. These are tough times for sure, but I have never been more excited about what’s ahead. By Vicky Boyd. Reprinted with permission from West Coast Nut magazine.
Fan-Jet® Microsprinklers Non-Stop® Drip Emitters Premium Plus Tubing “PCI” Inline Drip Tubing BigFoot® 3.0 Drip Tape
www.bowsmith.com 131 Second St. • Exeter, CA USA American Made Family-Owned
23
NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2025
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker