Bee Sweet Citrus Member since 1998 Bee Sweet Citrus Continues to Thrive By Tim Linden Bee Sweet Citrus President Jim Marderosian first opened the doors of the company in 1987 as an independent packer and shipper of California oranges. As time progressed and consumer needs shifted, the citrus line expanded to include approximately 10 different varieties.
Now a successful year-round operation, Bee Sweet ships throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and several Pacific Rim countries, including Japan. “We offer customers a 12-month citrus program and still offer personal customer service and a heartfelt commitment to each of our growers and buyers,” said Monique Bienvenue, Director of Communications & Compliance. Bee Sweet Citrus has experienced steady growth during its 35 years in operation and is particularly proud of a handful of accomplishments realized over the last half-dozen years or so. A few recent highlights include: 2015: Bee Sweet Citrus donates $1 million to Valley Children’s Pediatric Center in Fowler, Calif. 2015: Bee Sweet Citrus installs solar panels on its packing facility to offset its use of electricity 2017: Bee Sweet Citrus begins to utilize an innovative automatic palletization system 2019: Bee Sweet Citrus donates a state-of-the-art pack line to the students of California State University, Fresno 2020: Bee Sweet Citrus builds a new wash line in Nipomo, Calif. 2021: Bee Sweet Citrus revamps its label to reflect a new, modernized brand 2022: Bee Sweet Citrus begins construction on a new, state-of-the-art mandarin facility.
“When Bee Sweet Citrus first opened its doors, we only worked with oranges. As citrus became more of a household staple for many families, however, we expanded our citrus line to include lemons, mandarins and specialty citrus varieties during California’s citrus domestic season,” said Bienvenue. “Now, we offer our customers a 12-month citrus program to meet the needs of families year-round, and supplement our citrus line with Chilean product during the summer months when domestic fruit is unavailable or scarce.” As a family owned and operated company, Bee Sweet sees its value proposition as understanding how important it is to provide families with fresh citrus year-round. “Our employees work hard to make sure that every piece of fruit that leaves our facility not only meets, but exceeds, our expectations in taste and quality, and customer service remains top priority for our team,” she said.
A new 200,000 square foot packing facility is under construction in Fowler
The facility will include pre-sort and pack lines, cold storage and a shipping dock
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SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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