U.S. citrus giants announce alliance to expand Wonderful Halos brand
The largest U.S. citrus grower Paramount Citrus today announced a partnership with California-based mandarin company Mulholland Citrus to expand the Wonderful Halos brand and increase consumption across North America. 
The deal will see Paramount Citrus become the exclusive sales agent for Mulholland Citrus, which is the third-largest mandarin grower and packer in the country.
Under the partnership, Mulholland Citrus will grow and pack its mandarins under the Wonderful Halos brand.
The companies said the alliance would strengthen the Halo-brand program to broaden the market and reach a wider set of consumers.
"We are focused on working with other like-minded quality farmers to grow the overall mandarin category within the citrus industry," Paramount Citrus president David Krause said in an embargoed release sent yesterday.
"Working closely with the highly experienced citrus growers at Mulholland Citrus is a logical next step to reinforce the transformation of mandarins into one of America’s most popular produce items."
The Wonderful Halos' season runs from November to April, and the fruit is sold in an extensive number of supermarkets and retail outlets across the U.S. and Canada.
Last year Paramount Citrus announced a record US$100 million marketing program between 2013 and 2018 to grow the mandarin category and help increase consumer demand.
The company said demand across the industry had grown exponentially over the last few years, and a larger mandarin supply would be available for the 2014/15 season thanks to the new collaboration with Mulholland.
"At Mulholland Citrus, we share the same values and a similar vision as Paramount Citrus to expand the market for mandarins and use the power of a well-known brand like Wonderful Halos to reach an ever-increasing number of consumers," Mulholland Citrus owner Tom Mulholland said.
"Both of our companies are strongly rooted in California agriculture, and we believe we can help each other give America a healthy alternative as the perfect snack."
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