Formed in 1893 as the Southern California Fruit Exchange in Claremont by P. J. Dreher and his son, the “father” of the California citrus industry, Edward L. Dreher (1877–1964). The exchange soon included growers and groves in Pomona, Riverside and San Dimas in Los Angeles County, and Santa Paula, Saticoy, Fillmore, Rancho Sespe, Bardsdale and Piru in Ventura County; by 1905, the group represented 5,000 members, 45% of the California citrus industry, and renamed itself the California Fruit Growers Exchange. It adopted the “Sunkist” name in 1908 for its highest quality oranges, and so was the first to brand fruit.
Currently representing about 6000 members, Sunkist is a not-for-profit corporation, with all profits from the exchange returned to the growers. Sunkist is the largest marketing cooperative in the world’s fruit and vegetable industry, and is one of the 10 largest marketing cooperatives in America.
Sunkist is the official fresh fruit of Six Flags.
Info gleaned from Wikipedia
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