Difference between revisions of "California Prune and Apricot Growers"
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Even with their large fraction of the California fruit crop, he association only sold about 47% of the total crop either because of cancelled memberships or growers secretly selling to packers. | Even with their large fraction of the California fruit crop, he association only sold about 47% of the total crop either because of cancelled memberships or growers secretly selling to packers. | ||
| − | Working with the independent packers also turned out to be challenging from a business standpoint. Packing costs varied wildly by packing house. In some cases, packers either delayed paying the association for fruit sold or underestimated the crop owned by the association. In the most obvious case, the [[George N. Herbert Packing Company]] supposedly sold a million pounds of the crop without informing the association and held on to the $100,000 in proceeds, leading to a lawsuit, a demand for a $320,000 bond, and a louder demand for the immediate return of 1.9 million pounds of prunes and 178,000 pounds of apricots which belonged to Sunsweet. "...Mr Herbert gave copies of the shipping sheets to the inspectors, so as to permit the fruit to be checked out of the packing plant, but sent only a few selected sheets thereof to the sales department so that the officers of the corporation would be unable to find out that he was liable to the corporation for the purchase of the fruit."<ref>Packers Fear More Suits for Contract Breach Following Herbert Litigation: November 27, 1917 San Jose Mercury Herald</ref>. Sunsweet grabbed the twenty-two carloads of packed fruit and 200 tons of prunes the next week<ref>Quantity of Prunes Seized at Local Packing House by the Growers' Association: December 5, 1917 San Jose Mercury Herald</ref>. As a result, the association began to make offers to buy dried fruit packing houses so they could control their own crop<ref>[http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=PRP19180511.2.24.1&cl=CL2.1918.05&srpos=0&dliv=none&st=1&e=-------en-logical-20--1-----all--- May 11, 1918 Pacific Rural Press]: CPGA was buying packing houses in the large growing areas, not just leasing or otherwise combining.</ref>. The company also planned to manage the selling of apricot pits | + | Working with the independent packers also turned out to be challenging from a business standpoint. Packing costs varied wildly by packing house. In some cases, packers either delayed paying the association for fruit sold or underestimated the crop owned by the association. In the most obvious case, the [[George N. Herbert Packing Company]] supposedly sold a million pounds of the crop without informing the association and held on to the $100,000 in proceeds, leading to a lawsuit, a demand for a $320,000 bond, and a louder demand for the immediate return of 1.9 million pounds of prunes and 178,000 pounds of apricots which belonged to Sunsweet. "...Mr Herbert gave copies of the shipping sheets to the inspectors, so as to permit the fruit to be checked out of the packing plant, but sent only a few selected sheets thereof to the sales department so that the officers of the corporation would be unable to find out that he was liable to the corporation for the purchase of the fruit."<ref>Packers Fear More Suits for Contract Breach Following Herbert Litigation: November 27, 1917 San Jose Mercury Herald</ref>. Sunsweet grabbed the twenty-two carloads of packed fruit and 200 tons of prunes the next week<ref>Quantity of Prunes Seized at Local Packing House by the Growers' Association: December 5, 1917 San Jose Mercury Herald</ref>. As a result, the association began to make offers to buy dried fruit packing houses so they could control their own crop<ref>[http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=PRP19180511.2.24.1&cl=CL2.1918.05&srpos=0&dliv=none&st=1&e=-------en-logical-20--1-----all--- May 11, 1918 Pacific Rural Press]: CPGA was buying packing houses in the large growing areas, not just leasing or otherwise combining.</ref>. The company also planned to manage the selling of apricot pits<ref>[http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=PRP19180511.2.24.1&cl=CL2.1918.05&srpos=0&dliv=none&st=1&e=-------en-logical-20--1-----all--- May 11, 1918 Pacific Rural Press]: “The Prune and Apricot Growers' Association has developed a market for their apricot pits whereby members will receive better than $31.50 per ton for them. The contract is for two years, with privilege of a two-year extension.”</ref>Sunsweet acquired 16 packing houses before the beginning of the 1918 crop<ref>California Dried Fruit Packing Houses: [http://books.google.com/books?id=BxQdAQAAMAAJ&lpg=RA1-PA40&ots=ij7b8ghIdw&dq=%22sunsweet%22%20campbell%20packing&pg=RA1-PA40#v=onepage&q=%22sunsweet%22%20campbell%20packing&f=false June 1918 Western Canner and Packer]: Gem City being converted to handle pits only, eighteen plants officially being labeled “Sunsweet plants”.</ref>, first one bought was the [[George N. Herbert Packing Company]] plant. |
The association also created their own “field warehouses” to hold onto packed but not-yet-sold fruit. Field warehousing put the product in the hands of a separate company on paper. By having a separate public warehousing company issue warehouse receipts, the association could then borrow money against the stored fruit <ref>Procedure of Extending Credit on Canned Food in Warehouses: [http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=RA9-PA34#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false March 1923 Western Canner and Packer].</ref>. Sunsweet’s field warehousing subsidiary was the [[Growers’ Packing and Warehouse Company’’, | The association also created their own “field warehouses” to hold onto packed but not-yet-sold fruit. Field warehousing put the product in the hands of a separate company on paper. By having a separate public warehousing company issue warehouse receipts, the association could then borrow money against the stored fruit <ref>Procedure of Extending Credit on Canned Food in Warehouses: [http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=RA9-PA34#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false March 1923 Western Canner and Packer].</ref>. Sunsweet’s field warehousing subsidiary was the [[Growers’ Packing and Warehouse Company’’, | ||
Revision as of 06:10, 13 December 2013
| Business |
Dried Fruit Packer,Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Main Location |
San Jose, CA |
| Active |
1917 - present |
| Aliases |
Sunsweet |
| Predecessors |
Campbell Farmers Union Packing Company |
The ‘’’California Prune and Apricot Growers’’’ (commonly known as Sunsweet) is a long-lived co-operative for prune and apricot growers. Founded in San Jose in 1917, the company adapted to changes in marketing and in the locations of the crops. The company has also handled prune and apricot-related products, including canned prunes[1]. The company is currently based in Yuba City.
The association was started in the spring of 1917. Early management included Frank Coykendall (who sold his A&C Ham Packing Company to avoid conflicts of interest) and office manager Samuel Squibb[2] (who later worked for the George E. Hyde Cannery in Campbell.
The co-operative initially served only for negotiating and marketing, but relied on independent packers to actually handle the crop. For the 1917 season, the association got commitments from farmers producing 75% of that year’s crop. Forty-five packers around the state were signed up to actually handle the crop. The San Jose list includes many of the smaller dried fruit packers[3]:
…east side growers
to George Frank Fruit Company on Alum Rock, south of San Jose to O.A. Harlan on South 4th, Campbell to George Hyde & Co, Los Gatos and vicinity to Curtis Fruit, Los Gatos; Saratoga, San Tomas, and growers around Vasona to Gem City Packing, Vasona; Mountain View and growers north of Fremont Avenue including Los Altos and Mountain View to Mountain View Packing Company. Mountain View, growers south of Fremont (Ave) and others go to George Herbert on Lincoln, F.H. Holmes on 18th and Jackson, J.W Chilton on North First, Pacific Fruit PRoducts on San Carlos Street, J.B. Inderrieden, Ryland Street, Warren Dried Fruit, Ryland Street, A & C Ham, Cinnabar Street, San Jose.
Even with their large fraction of the California fruit crop, he association only sold about 47% of the total crop either because of cancelled memberships or growers secretly selling to packers.
Working with the independent packers also turned out to be challenging from a business standpoint. Packing costs varied wildly by packing house. In some cases, packers either delayed paying the association for fruit sold or underestimated the crop owned by the association. In the most obvious case, the George N. Herbert Packing Company supposedly sold a million pounds of the crop without informing the association and held on to the $100,000 in proceeds, leading to a lawsuit, a demand for a $320,000 bond, and a louder demand for the immediate return of 1.9 million pounds of prunes and 178,000 pounds of apricots which belonged to Sunsweet. "...Mr Herbert gave copies of the shipping sheets to the inspectors, so as to permit the fruit to be checked out of the packing plant, but sent only a few selected sheets thereof to the sales department so that the officers of the corporation would be unable to find out that he was liable to the corporation for the purchase of the fruit."[4]. Sunsweet grabbed the twenty-two carloads of packed fruit and 200 tons of prunes the next week[5]. As a result, the association began to make offers to buy dried fruit packing houses so they could control their own crop[6]. The company also planned to manage the selling of apricot pits[7]Sunsweet acquired 16 packing houses before the beginning of the 1918 crop[8], first one bought was the George N. Herbert Packing Company plant.
The association also created their own “field warehouses” to hold onto packed but not-yet-sold fruit. Field warehousing put the product in the hands of a separate company on paper. By having a separate public warehousing company issue warehouse receipts, the association could then borrow money against the stored fruit [9]. Sunsweet’s field warehousing subsidiary was the [[Growers’ Packing and Warehouse Company’’,
Relations were mixed with the independent packers and brokers who had previously controlled the crops. At its inception, E. N. Richmond was quoted as saying that the brokers won't try to break the prices of the growers association[10]. In 1928, the association explicitly told packers they wouldn't tolerate encouraging growers to break contracts[11]
Plant No. 1, Campbell; (Campbell Farmer's Union) No. 2, Morgan Hill; (built 1911, torn down 1964) (Morgan Hill Farmer's Union) Mercury News article from August 7, 1987 says that Sunsweet was closing their dryer in Morgan Hill that year. Old address of 91 East 4th, Morgan Hill shows multiple warehouses. No. 3, Gilroy; (in operation 1958) (Gilroy Farmer's Union) No. 4, San Jose, Fourth and Lewis streets; (O.A. Harlan & Company) (Not on rolls by 1921) No. 5: Hemet (Hemet Apricot Grower's Association) (Photo at "Packing Houses of Southern California": http://coastdaylight.com/ph/scph/scph_hemet.html , listed as Growers Packing and Warehousing No. 6, San Jose (Lincoln Avenue) (G.N. Herbert & Company) No. 7, Vasona, Los Gatos; (Gem City Packing Company) No. 8, Mountain View; (former Mountain View Packing. Postcard of Mountain View plant along railroad tracks exists. Oak Street at railroad tracks according to Sanborn map.) 1921 Sanborn map shows main building has storage on first and second floors, grading on third, and a "process room" (sulfuring?) on second floor. Separate warehouse. Separate boiler house, with oil tanks at ground level. (Not on rolls by 1921) No. 9: Hollister (Hollister Packing Company) No. 10, San Jose (G. Frank Fruit Company) (Meridian Road at narrow gauge) No. 11, San Jose, Cinnebar and Senter streets; (A & C Ham Company) (Not on rolls by 1921) No. 12: San Jose (F. H. Holmes) No. 13, Los Gatos; No. 14, Lincoln Avenue, San Jose. Plant No. 14. J. W. Chilton & Company, San Jose No. 15, J. B. Inderrieden Company, San Jose; No. 16, Pacific Fruit Products Company, San Jose; No. 17, Warren Dried Fruit Company, San Jose; No. 22, Geo. E. Hyde & Company, Campbell; No. 37, Warren E. Hyde, S. E. Johnson, Cupertino; No. 38, West Side Fruit Growers' Association, Cupertino. No. 41, Sunnyvale. (1920) Evelyn at end of Central Avenue at railroad tracks south of downtown according to Sanborn maps. Plant # from Sanborn map. According to March 1920 Western Canner and Packer the building was going to be a cement building.
PHotos of sunsweet plants in October 30, 1920 Plant 5, Yuba City (Enlarged 1964) San Jose, 7th and Alma (dehydrator, referenced in Portuguese in San Jose)
Western Canner and Packer noted attempt to manufacture cooking oil from prune and apricot kernels. Sunsweet calling it "Sunsweet Nut-Oil"
See also: The Sunsweet Story for full history 1964 addresses from 1964 San Jose - Santa Clara telephone directory.
Frank Coykendall summarized the market and Bosnian prunes in February 1923 Western Canner and Packer February 1923 Western Canner and PAcker
Locations
| Location | Plant Number | Years | Address | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn, NY | Plant 43 | 1921-1922 | Bush Terminal Docks | Packing house at Bush terminal docks "". Closed within a year - packing costs were 4x what they were in California. See Sunsweet history book. | |
| Campbell | Plant 1 | 1917, 1964 | 5 Central Avenue | ||
| Colusa | 1922 | Construction started in 1922[12][13]. | |||
| Gilroy | Plant 3 | 1917 - | Former Gilroy Farmer's Union | ||
| Healdsburg | 1922 | Former Sherriffs Brothers plant. Bought in 1922 according to March 1922 Canning Age. | |||
| Hemet | Plant 5 | 1917- | Former Hemet Apricot Grower's Association, photo at (Photo at Packing Houses of Southern California; listed as Growers Packing and Warehousing Association | ||
| Hollister | Plant 9 | 1917- | Hollister Packing Company | ||
| Los Gatos | Plant 7 | 1917-1928 | Winchester Road | Former Gem City Packing Company, became Sewall_Brown_and_Company | |
| Los Gatos | Plant 13 | 1917 | ??? | ||
| Morgan Hill | Plant 2 | 1917-1964 | 91 East 4th Street | Former Morgan Hill Farmer's Union | |
| Mountain View | Plant 8 | 1917- 1921 | Oak Street at Villa St. | Former Mountain View Packing Company | |
| Napa | 1922-? | Jackson Ave[14]<February 1922 Canning Age”. Construction to begin in spring.</ref>. | |||
| Red Bluff | 1922- | Bought from Sanitary Fruit Company in 1922 according to July 1922 Western Canner and Packer. | |||
| San Jose | 213 W. Santa Clara Street | Public fruit market, | |||
| San Jose | Plant 4 | 1921, 1926- | 4th and Lewis | In 1922, Western Canner and Packer said the plant used to be used for the "special carton trade", but that the plant was too small, so they bought the J. W. Chilton plant at 405 North First Street Leased to Libby for one season. | |
| San Jose | Plant 6 | 595 Lincoln Ave. | George N. Herbert Packing Company | ||
| San Jose | Plant 10 | Alum Rock and White | Supposedly had a plant here | ||
| San Jose | Plant 10 | Meridian Road at narrow gauge | George Frank and Company | ||
| San Jose | Plant 11 | 1921, 1936, ~1960 | 570 Cinnabar | Bob Morris photos from early 1960's show "mission-style tower":http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/f29.html and "shed roof":http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/f27.html covering wedge of land. Plant was built for A.C. Ham in 1917 as three-story, concrete. 1950 Sanborn map shows used for grading and packing. | |
| San Jose | Plant 12 | 1917 | Former F. H. Holmes | ||
| San Jose | Plant 14 | 1922 | 405 North First | Former Chilton plant. Bought in June 1922 according to note in "July 1922 Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ | |
| San Jose | Plant 15 | 1917 | J. B. Inderrieden | ||
| San Jose | Plant 16 | 1922 | 740 W. San Carlos Street | Bought in September 1922 from Pacific Fruit Products according to | |
| San Jose | Plant 17 | 1918-? | Margaret and 4th | Two story concrete building with grader on 2nd floor and warehouse on first. Built for O.C. Harlan in 1918. Separate sulfur house. | |
| San Jose | Plant 7 | 1964 | 7th and Alma | ||
| San Jose | Plant 10 | 1964 | 2670 Alum Rock Avenue | ||
| San Jose | 1964 | Market and San Fernando. | Headquarters | ||
| Santa Paula | 1922 | Apricot processing plant. Handled 1,700 tons in 1921, expecting 3,500 tons in 1922 according to "November 1922 Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ | |||
| Sunnyvale | 1923 | . "January 1923 Western Canner and PAcker":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ | |||
| Visalia | 1922 | "July 1922 Western Canner and Packer":http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ |
Photos
Sunsweet Campbell Co-operative Dryer San Jose State University
Sunsweet in San Jose
Plant #1: Three story building built in 1913 for Farmer's Union. 1921 Sanborn map shows grading on third floor, processing and storage on second, packaging and storage on first floor. Separate boiler house and underground oil tank. 1935 Sanborn map shows scales, 20,000 gallon oil tank.
- ↑ July 1922 Western Canner and Packer
- ↑ May 21, 1917 San Jose News
- ↑ July 21, 1917 San Jose Evening News
- ↑ Packers Fear More Suits for Contract Breach Following Herbert Litigation: November 27, 1917 San Jose Mercury Herald
- ↑ Quantity of Prunes Seized at Local Packing House by the Growers' Association: December 5, 1917 San Jose Mercury Herald
- ↑ May 11, 1918 Pacific Rural Press: CPGA was buying packing houses in the large growing areas, not just leasing or otherwise combining.
- ↑ May 11, 1918 Pacific Rural Press: “The Prune and Apricot Growers' Association has developed a market for their apricot pits whereby members will receive better than $31.50 per ton for them. The contract is for two years, with privilege of a two-year extension.”
- ↑ California Dried Fruit Packing Houses: June 1918 Western Canner and Packer: Gem City being converted to handle pits only, eighteen plants officially being labeled “Sunsweet plants”.
- ↑ Procedure of Extending Credit on Canned Food in Warehouses: March 1923 Western Canner and Packer.
- ↑ May 21, 1917 San Jose Evening News
- ↑ Association Warns Packers to Sue if Growers Lured: July 27, 1928 San Jose Evening News.
- ↑ February 1922 Canning Age
- ↑ July 1922 Western Canner and Packer
- ↑ July 1922 Western Canner and Packer