Florida's Natural Growers
Encyclopedia
Florida's Natural Growers is an agricultural cooperative based in Lake Wales, Florida
. It is currently owned by over 1,100 grower members.
In the 1960s, consumer demand shifted to fresh-squeezed orange juice, and frozen concentrate sales declined while demand for chilled juices increased. In 1969, the cooperative took the name Citrus World and adopted the current name in 1998. It is currently composed of 12 growers; Waverly Growers Cooperative, Lake Placid Cooperative, Ben Hill Griffin Inc., Haines City Citrus Growers Association, Orange Growers Marketing Association, Lake Wales Citrus Growers Association, Hunt Brothers Cooperative, Citrus Marketing Services Inc, Peace River Packing Company, Dundee Citrus Growers Association, Winter Haven Citrus Growers Association, and Umatilla Citrus Growers Association.
In 1987, consumer demand for premium juices that are not made from reconstituted concentrate increased, leading to the creation of the Florida's Natural brand (which would later become the name of the cooperative itself), which consists only of freshly squeezed, pasteurized juice, which contains no additional ingredients. The company also added Ruby Red grapefruit juice to its line of products, and is also known for introducing the resealable pour spout to its cartons, a design which went on to be used throughout the industry for premium juices and other beverages. The company purchased Sun Pac Foods, in 2000 and began shipping premium orange juice to China.
In 2001, the company opened "Grove House", a visitor's center across the street from its Lake Wales, Florida processing plant. Grove House is open daily except Sunday, and is closed from Memorial Day through the last day of September.
juices (mainly orange juice
) under the Florida's Natural brand name. The cooperative also produces fruit snacks, introduced in 2006.
The company's primary marketing strategy is to differentiate itself from main competitors Simply Orange
and Tropicana
, which are owned by beverage giants Coca-Cola
and Pepsi
, respectively. It does this by emphasizing its cooperative organization ("We own the land, we own the trees, we own the company"). It also publicizes that they use only Florida-grown fruit (grown by its cooperative members primarily in the Lake Wales area) in its products, while Simply Orange and Tropicana use a mix of domestic and imported citrus fruit.
Lake Wales, Florida
Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 10,194 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 11,802 . It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. It is currently owned by over 1,100 grower members.
History
Florida's Natural Growers was founded in 1933 as Florida Citrus Canners Cooperative. Its initial operations included canning juice and grapefruit sections for its members, and in 1938 began extracting juice with automated machines. During World War II, the company produced concentrated orange juice for the military; after the war, 80% of the juice the company produced was in frozen concentrate form to meet consumer demand for the relatively new, convenient form.In the 1960s, consumer demand shifted to fresh-squeezed orange juice, and frozen concentrate sales declined while demand for chilled juices increased. In 1969, the cooperative took the name Citrus World and adopted the current name in 1998. It is currently composed of 12 growers; Waverly Growers Cooperative, Lake Placid Cooperative, Ben Hill Griffin Inc., Haines City Citrus Growers Association, Orange Growers Marketing Association, Lake Wales Citrus Growers Association, Hunt Brothers Cooperative, Citrus Marketing Services Inc, Peace River Packing Company, Dundee Citrus Growers Association, Winter Haven Citrus Growers Association, and Umatilla Citrus Growers Association.
In 1987, consumer demand for premium juices that are not made from reconstituted concentrate increased, leading to the creation of the Florida's Natural brand (which would later become the name of the cooperative itself), which consists only of freshly squeezed, pasteurized juice, which contains no additional ingredients. The company also added Ruby Red grapefruit juice to its line of products, and is also known for introducing the resealable pour spout to its cartons, a design which went on to be used throughout the industry for premium juices and other beverages. The company purchased Sun Pac Foods, in 2000 and began shipping premium orange juice to China.
In 2001, the company opened "Grove House", a visitor's center across the street from its Lake Wales, Florida processing plant. Grove House is open daily except Sunday, and is closed from Memorial Day through the last day of September.
Products and Marketing
Florida's Natural produces not-from-concentrate citrusCitrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
juices (mainly orange juice
Orange juice
Orange juice is a popular beverage made from oranges. It is made by extraction from the fresh fruit, by desiccation and subsequent reconstitution of dried juice, or by concentration of the juice and the subsequent addition of water to the concentrate...
) under the Florida's Natural brand name. The cooperative also produces fruit snacks, introduced in 2006.
The company's primary marketing strategy is to differentiate itself from main competitors Simply Orange
Simply Orange
The Simply Orange Juice Company is an Apopka, Florida-based company that was founded in 2001 and is currently a brand of The Coca-Cola Company. They make a number of not-from-concentrate orange and other fruit juices that are sold chilled in a distinctly shaped plastic bottle...
and Tropicana
Tropicana Products
Tropicana Products is an American based company, and was founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi in Bradenton, Florida, U.S.A. Since 1998, it has been owned by PepsiCo, Inc. Tropicana's headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.-Anthony T. Rossi:...
, which are owned by beverage giants Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
and Pepsi
PepsiCo
PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...
, respectively. It does this by emphasizing its cooperative organization ("We own the land, we own the trees, we own the company"). It also publicizes that they use only Florida-grown fruit (grown by its cooperative members primarily in the Lake Wales area) in its products, while Simply Orange and Tropicana use a mix of domestic and imported citrus fruit.