Leading U.S. citrus cooperative Sunkist Growers has welcomed Orange Cove, California-based grower-shipper Mulholland Citrus into its ranks, with the group set to start packing under the Sunkist brand on Nov. 1 to kick off the 2017-18 season. 

Predominantly a grower of easy peelers, Mulholland is projected to pack eight million 5-pound carton equivalents of mandarins annually, and will join Sunkist's extensive network of packhouses that comprise the cooperative.

"In the four generations of our family’s farming history, Mulholland Citrus has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Sunkist and we are pleased to now be joining the cooperative,” the company's Heather Mulholland said in a release.

"We are aligned with Sunkist’s sales and marketing approach, as well as the organization’s values – which, as a family business, are very important to us," she said. 

Sunkist president and CEO Russ Hanlin was upbeat about the announcement.

"Mulholland Citrus has a rich history of growing and shipping exceptional quality citrus. We are honored to welcome this industry leader to Sunkist and are looking forward to working together to deliver premium fruit to our customers," Hanlin said.

"Sunkist’s quality promise is central to our brand, and we deliver on that promise by working with best-in-class growers and shippers."

"Along with their volume, Mulholland Citrus brings valuable experience and knowledge to Sunkist. We are leveraging that experience and working collaboratively to ensure a strong start to the upcoming season," added Sunkist senior vice president and COO John Striff.

With a 125-year history, Sunkist cooperative of family farms offers more than 40 fresh citrus varieties, produced by housands of grower members in California and Arizona. 

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