Bakersfield, Calif.-based Sun World International LLC has announced the virtual grand opening of its Center for Innovation, a new fruit breeding and genetics facility located in Wasco, Calif.
Sun World’s previous breeding work was conducted at the company’s nearby Variety Development Center, according to news release.
The center is dedicated in memory of Sun World founder Howard P. Marguleas.
“My father’s notable passion for introducing consumers to unique and flavorful new fruit and vegetables was legendary,” Sun World CEO David Marguleas said in the release. “As such, we thought it was particularly fitting to dedicate this extraordinary new facility in his memory, This passion to innovate continues to shape our vision and guide our business philosophy and will enable us to bring growers, retailers and consumers an even wider array of new fruit for many decades to come.”
Terry Bacon, Sun World vice president of variety development, said in the release that Sun World is “thinking big” over the long-term potential of the facility.
“This facility will house much more than the table grape and stone fruit breeding programs we currently operate,” Bacon said in the release. “We have bold plans to expand into developing other crops that delight consumers.”
Planning for the facility began in 2018 and the company broke ground on it in August 2019, according to the release.
The Center for Innovation sits on a 160-acre campus and includes a 17,000 square foot building and also houses an expansive experimental research farm, laboratories for molecular breeding, embryo rescue, seedling transfers and post-harvest assessment, as well as grow rooms, greenhouses and fruit tasting facilities for new grape and stone fruit varieties, according to the release. The facility also boasts offices, a space for conferences and an outdoor event venue.
Sun World varieties, the release said, are marketed under various grape varietal brands such as Autumncrisp, Midnight Beauty, Sable Seedless, Adora Seedless, Scarlotta Seedless, Sophia Seedless, Superior Seedless and stone fruit varietals that include Black Diamond and Honeycot. The company has a network of licensed growers and marketers and maintains offices in the U.S. Europe, Australia, South America, Israel, North Africa, and South Africa.
