Fowler, Calif.-based Bee Sweet Citrus Inc. is expanding its packinghouse to include a mandarin facility.
“Bee Sweet’s investment in a mandarin facility solidifies our place as a key player in mandarins,” Ben Ladd, vice president at Bee Sweet, said in a news release. “Our goal has always been to run as efficiently as possible to maximize grower returns, and this facility ensures we’ll be able to do that for years to come.”
Construction for the company’s new facility broke ground in early 2022 and is expected to be fully operational during the 2022-2023 citrus season. The 213,000-square-foot building will include cold storage; holding and degreening rooms; wash, sorting and pack lines; and a large shipping and dock area.
California’s citrus industry is set to collectively harvest approximately 66,000 acres of mandarins throughout the 2022-2023 citrus season. Bee Sweet’s new facility will eliminate the company’s need for a night shift, and will allow the grower-shipper to upgrade and leverage some of its existing space to run certain varieties more efficiently.
“Delivering a project of this magnitude, despite the supply chain and inflationary challenges ushered by COVID-19, is a testament to the resolve Bee Sweet brings to growing, packing and shipping the best fruit,” Ladd said in the release. “This is a recipe that spells success for the grower and the packer; it’s a win-win.”
Bee Sweet Citrus has also partnered with Tree Fresno to plant approximately 30 trees along the new building.
