WG Director Profile: Tracy Jones CEO, Booth Ranches CHARTING HER OWN COURSE By Michelle Rivera, Communications Manager
In a scene all too familiar in agriculture, young adults in rural communities are often lured to the big city in search of jobs and professional opportunities. But for those who remain, the ambitious and industrious can almost always chart a course of their own choosing. Such is the story of Tracy Jones. Tracy grew up in Reedley, California, a small agricultural town with a limited variety of jobs for younger adults, she explained. “In Reedley, when you’re old enough to get a job, you’re either going to work in a packing house or work at a fast-food restaurant,” Tracy said. Although she had no family ties to the agricultural industry, Tracy decided that her first job would be in a packing house. So, at 16 years old, she found herself packing tree fruit and onions. Tracy did not realize it
at the time, but this job would serve as an important stepping stone on her path to a thriving career in agriculture. Following her time at the packing house, Tracy took on a new role working in a shipping office for a cold storage company. She then transitioned to become a sales assistant for a marketing team that sold tree fruit and grapes, all while putting herself through college at Fresno State. Tracy later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in International Business, and landed herself a full-time sales position. It was full steam ahead for Tracy in her new role. As someone who likes to be “overly prepared,” it is not in her nature to wait for success to land in her lap. “I was a junior salesperson and brand new, so I’d go into the office at 4 in the morning so I could start selling by 7 a.m.,” Tracy said. “I did that for awhile until I got my feet on the ground.” In 2009, Tracy turned her attention to Booth Ranches, knowing that a sales manager position would soon be opening up. Not only did she land the job, Tracy was quickly promoted to Vice President of Marketing and Sales. It has been almost 30 years since Tracy’s beginnings working on the packing house floor, and today she proudly serves as the CEO of Booth Ranches. Founded in 1957 by the late Otis Booth Jr., Booth Ranches is a fully integrated citrus company that packs and sells oranges grown on its farm and comprises 7,500 acres of citrus throughout California’s Central Valley. Today, Otis’ daughter Loren upholds her father’s legacy
"When you think about everything that goes
into planting, harvesting, packaging and the journey it takes to get product to the store, what strikes me most is the hard work everyone puts into the process."
16 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com May | June 2024
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online