“Interest rates were about 15 percent, and I was concerned about inflation. At that time, with kids and a family, I knew I had to figure something else out,” Resnick said. So, as a hedge against inflation, Resnick purchased Paramount Citrus in 1979 – complete with 1,000 acres of land – and officially kicked off his career in the ag industry. “It worked out well in the beginning. The citrus business was quite good,” Resnick said. “I was just going to be a passive investor, but I liked the opportunity – the business – so I built it up.” By the mid-‘80s, Resnick was already eyeing his next big venture: cracking into the nut business, specifically pistachios. “Lynda was a genius with our branding, and I had a pretty good idea about sales and how to scale from my other businesses. I thought if we could apply that here, we could be a leader in this business and eventually dominate it,” he said. Implementing a vertically integrated model, Resnick didn’t stop at growing nut trees. He expanded to managing every step of the process in-house – from nurseries and harvesting to processing, packaging, merchandising, advertising and distribution. Today, The Wonderful Company is the world’s largest grower and processor of pistachios, holding a commanding 60 percent share of the U.S. pistachio market and 40 percent of the global market. It is America’s largest citrus grower and one of the country’s biggest producers of mandarins, seedless lemons and pomegranates. Wonderful also owns the world’s largest flower delivery service with Teleflora and is a market leader in premium wines, with JUSTIN, Lewis Cellars and Landmark wines, as well as bottled water with FIJI Water and pomegranate juice with POM Wonderful. In the face of a rapidly changing climate, environmental sustainability has been at the center of their work. Resnick believes Wonderful must be a deeply responsible steward of the environment and lead by example to create a sustainable future. That commitment extends to their philanthropy as well. In 2019, the Resnicks pledged a historic $750 million to Caltech to help combat climate change, as well as another $50 million to UC Davis to invest in the future of agricultural research. While these brands and commodities are precious to Resnick, it’s not the what, but the who – in the factories and the fields – that means the most to him. After establishing their pistachio factory, he and Lynda prioritized investing in the people from Lost Hills, Calif.,
a Central Valley town where one of every two households includes a Wonderful employee. As they devoted time and resources into growing their businesses, Lynda urged her husband to consider how they might do the same for the people in that community. “We didn’t think it was right that, for these employees, their roads were unpaved; they didn’t have sidewalks; quality education was lacking. So, we chose to really support that town,” Resnick said. That commitment quickly expanded across the Central Valley. Starting with infrastructure, the Resnicks, along with their foundations and The Wonderful Company, have made a giant impact across the region where Wonderful operates – well beyond Lost Hills – focusing on education, housing, parks, health care and more. Their work includes building affordable housing, refurbishing parks, establishing community centers and playgrounds, and opening free health clinics at plants and schools. The Resnicks and Wonderful opened two charter schools, which today offer a four-year college scholarship and mentoring to employees’ children and other high school students. “Before we built this charter school, there was no high school in Lost Hills,” Resnick said. Between charter schools in Delano and Lost Hills, more than 2,500 students are currently enrolled in Wonderful College Prep Academy (WCPA). WCPA is one of many education initiatives that Wonderful supports. Wonderful Education programs offer a broad spectrum of support from cradle to career – including two preschools, a dual- enrollment program, college scholarships, career training and more. Each year, Wonderful Education serves more than 5,000 students in the Central Valley. To date, more than 3,000 college scholarships have been awarded—each worth up to $40,000. That work came full circle last year, when the Resnicks attended the first high school graduation in Lost Hills’ history – a monumental achievement. Some of those grads went on to schools like UC Davis, Fresno State, Cal Poly, and even Resnick’s alma mater, UCLA. Others returned to the Central Valley and found opportunities in agriculture, health and wellness, education and more. “I’m very honored to be part of this community and to receive this recognition from Western Growers— an award that’s gone to so many agriculture leaders I’ve long admired."
More than 3,000 college scholarships have been awarded to Central Valley students—each worth up to $40,000.
16 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com September | October 2025
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