Quarterly Note

Jake Samuel, CEO Sunrise Fresh Dried Fruit

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Our Friends and Customers,
 
Here at Sunrise Fresh – it’s actually getting a little ‘quiet’ in a year that’s been anything but that.
 
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s not so much a slowdown as it is the routine of
changing from Fall to Winter. From finishing our almond and walnut harvests to beginning to repair equipment for spring. It’s the time of year as farmers, we watch the weather and pray for rain, which we are beginning to get. It’s a beautiful time of year and not as rushed, loud and busy as the rest of the year.
 
After 2 ½ years of reacting to the pandemic and the resulting supply chain challenges, it
seems we finally have a little time to just breathe and not to worry about that next phone call that says, “…we don’t have any trucks..” or the envelope that contains yet another rate hike on cardboard. While not the largest cost to us, it all adds up. I won’t try and fool you, but the largest percentage of costs for us is labor – and in 2022, that went up as well!
 
I don’t want to be the one complaining, but I need to point out that we had these challenges, and we met them. In fact, we overcame them and had another successful year! A lot of that is thanks to all of you, and I want you to know that my family and I appreciate all the support and business over the last 2 1/2 years!
 
For Sunrise Fresh, the biggest news of 2022 was undoubtedly the acquisition of the dry
yard. This began the partnership and creation of Sunrise Dryers with a 72-drying tunnel
capacity facility in Colusa, CA. This has been a goal of ours for some time – as it gives us
vertical integration of our operations. This not only allows us to dry our fruits – but
expands the capacity of our current dried fruits, expands our berries line, and adds some additional warehouse space. So keep your eyes peeled, as we will be giving updates on our adventures in Colusa! 
 
We didn’t neglect our Linden facility either, installing a new, almost portable building to
house employee lockers and a new lunchroom! We also expanded our bagging line
capabilities by offering additional options for our customers and serving as a distribution hub for them. This allows our customer’s to order different variations of products for some new custom product runs and increases our capacity as well. Of course, all these things take time to expand and grow – and of course, tinkering - to get them operating efficiently. Still, once they are rolling, they will be a big help to our customers.
 
Looking toward 2023 and beyond, we are excited for what’s to come. Even as some parts of our economy are wishy-washy, and the global political unrest is tip-toeing around
further ridiculousness, we are hopeful about the future. Hopeful that we will have another bountiful cherry harvest! Hopeful about agriculture staying on its two feet and, of course, hopeful that we will continue to feed the world with our products.  Stay tuned, as we are never staying still here at Sunrise Fresh. We’ll continue to share our great news coming in the New Year!! Cheers to wealth, health, and success in 2023!

Jake Samuel

Although Sunrise Fresh is located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, the
dried fruit industry is a massive worldwide one.
 
Although the majority of our products are grown and processed in California, we
also buy from growers in Oregon and Washington.  One of the reasons is that, with
differing climates, some states are just better producers of certain items.
Fruits, of course, are grown everywhere in the U.S. – even in Alaska – but only
certain areas can grow to a volume that makes them commercially practical.
 
The same story where countries are concerned- most grow some type of fruits –
but not in a quantity to make exporting practical, and when it comes to dried fruits,
there are several countries across the globe whose ship products to the rest of the
world.
 
You might not know that the United States produces a large portion of that total
number. In fact, the U.S. ranks in the top three when it comes to the production
and exportation of dried fruits and dried fruit-related products.
Top 5 Dried Fruit Producers Across the World.

While dried fruit products are produced worldwide, five are known to be the top
producers, according to statista.com. They include:
 
 United States – 16%
 Turkey – 16%
 Iran – 13%
 Saudi Arabia – 7%
 China – 5%

Different areas of the world produce a wide variety of fruits and nuts that are dried
and packaged for wholesale use, mainly based on what type of fresh fruits are
grown in that region. For more in-depth information on the global dried fruit market,
head over to our website.
 
While all of our products are grown and produced in the U.S.A. , Sunrise Fresh
also exports a smaller portion of our products for consumption in South America
and Asia. Our largest sales are dried fruits to be used as ingredients in other foods
made in the U.S. –like trailmixes, energy and protein bars, and baking products.
 
This means that purchasing professionals, foodservice pros, bakers, and
distributors, who want the highest quality products, want to purchase from
producers they trust. And that’s why so many of them choose Sunrise Fresh!

“Just the Fruit... And Nothing Else!