Sun-Maid Growers of California
The first successful raisin cooperative in the United States (Founded as the California Associated Raisin Company in Fresno, 1912)
After central California was found to be an ideal spot to grow grapes and dry them into raisins, thousands of farmers entered the business. Unfortunately, occasional over-production, and the lack of standardized wholesale pricing, kept the industry from emerging as a major force in California agriculture. After a number of failed attempts, the California Associated Raisin Company was born to help stabilize the crop itself, and to bargain for wholesale prices for its members a unified basis. It gave rise to the Sun-Maid brand, the name eventually adopted by the organization itself. Thanks to effective global marketing and promotion, Sun-Maid is now known in every corner of the earth.