Sunkist revenue tops $1 billion — Gillette elected Chairman

Sunkist Growers revenues topped $1 billion in 2010 for the 10th time in 20 years, Sunkist president Russell Hanlin said at the citrus marketing cooperative’s meeting in California.

More than 800 growers attended the 117th annual meeting Feb. 23 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, according to a news release.

Hanlin attributed the revenue results to improved coordination between Sunkist’s sales and production wings.

“We were faced with, and successfully overcame, many difficulties imposed by the weak global economy,” Hanlin said in the release. “We ended the year strong and financially stable … more efficient and well-positioned for continued success.”

Mark Gillette, Dinuba, Calif., was elected to his first term as chairman of the Sunkist board. He succeeds Nick Bozick, president of at Richard Bagdasarian Inc., Mecca, Calif., who served five consecutive terms — the maximum under Sunkist bylaws, according to the release.

Mark Gillette, a fourth generation citrus grower, is president of the Sunkist-affiliated Gillette Citrus Inc., a vertically integrated company that grows, packs and ships fresh citrus. He grows Navel, Cara Cara, and Moro oranges; Mandarins; Lemons and Valencia oranges in Fresno and Tulare counties.

 After Mr. Gillette earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he joined the Lockheed Missiles and Space Corporation before establishing Gillette Citrus Inc. in partnership with his father, Dean and brother, Jay and Grandfather Earl in 1983. 

Mr. Gillette has served on the Sunkist Board of Directors since 1999 and was elected as a Vice Chair of the Executive Committee for the five of those years. He is also a long-time board member and past Vice-Chairman of Fruit Growers Supply Company, a manufacturing and supply cooperative which provides services for grower-members of Sunkist.

Other board choices include vice chairmen William Chaney, Sun City, Ariz.; Gerald Denni, Strathmore, Calif.; and James Finch, Ojai, Calif. Chaney, a lemon and specialty citrus grower, is president of Marlin Packing Co. and three other firms under the Marlin name. Denni is general manager of Golden Valley Citrus and co-owner of Mittman-Denni Citrus Management, which oversees more than 1,800 acres of California citrus.

Finch was elected to the Sunkist board in 2004 from the Saticoy Fruit Exchange. He grows lemons, oranges and avocados in Ventura County.

Twenty-seven board members were elected or reelected.