Imperial Valley press., 1945-05-17
The Next Step Pest
The Packing House

Had chat yesterday with grower
from down in Orange County, man
with long experience in citrus, and
incidentally quite philosopher.
"It's too bad" he said, "that we
growers get so tied down to our own
groves and busy with our own work
that we tend to lose sight of the
broad picture-our industry as
whole. We ought to look past the
packing house"
That remark set your reporter
thinking -. There's nothing more
important in the citrus business
than fine packing house operation.
But after the fruit Is packed well, it
must be sold well if the grower is to
get good return. Take, for ex-
ample, the very next step after the
packing house: the job of figuring
out where your fruit ought to go
and what price it should sell for.
That's mighty, mighty important,
too! High time this column talked
about it,.
So far as Sunkist growers are
concerned, this job is handled by the
District Exchanges. It's the reason
for them. Say that your fruit has
already been harvested and packed
for shipping under the direction of
your Sunkist packing house man.
ager. Right then the Sunkist Dis
trict Exchange Manager takes over.
He's hand-picked man, trained for
the job. It's his business first of all
to know the fruit from your District
every car. Next, it's his business
to know exactly where each particu-
lar car is likely to sell at the best
possible price.
Now off hand it seems unlikely
that any man could know Just where,
in the whole US. and Canada, at
one particular time, your particular
car of fruit is most likely to sell at
the best price. And yet your Sunkist
District Exchange Manager, sitting
in his Office in your District in Cali
fornia or Arizona, does know ex-
actly that.
He knows it because of the far
flung facilities afforded him by the
central Exchange. The teletype
machine in his Office is hooked up
with a teletype machine in the GEN.
tral Sales Department of the Cali
for1lia Fruit Growers Exchange in
the Sunkist Building in Los Ange-
les. All day long his machine keeps
clicking out information: Buffalo
wants three more cars of such-and-
such sizes and quality of fruit. De-
mand has Stacked off in Memphis:
prices there are weakening. And so
on. All these reports keep pour
ing into Los Angeles from the Sc
Sunkist Sales Offices all over this
country and Canada - and all are
relayed at once to the Gathering ma
chine at his elbow. There's no other
service like this in the entire citrus
industry.
But teletypes don't think. They
merely pass along information. The
most valuable service performed by
the Sales Department of the central
Exchange is an overall job of PLAN
ming and coordinating. The central
office studies the whole broad pic
ture. And all the time, every day,
they work with your own District
Exchange Manager, keeping him
fully informed. They make him the
best posted man in the business!
They advise; but they never dictate.
Your fruit cannot be sold without
the approval of your District
Exchange Manager.
X X 4
The result of this selling method
is that, year in and year out, the
Sunkist grower has enjoyed better
price for his fruit, and a better re-
turn for his labors. And this method
of operation costs less, because
there are 14,500 growers Woreing
together.
Yes, it pays to look past the pack
ing house. Helps you appreciate the
Job the other fellow is doing. And
helps you realize the extent and
value of the service the Exchange
can perform for you. If you're not
an Exchange member, you ought to
plan now to join.
Next report; ~ Tbs paper one week
from todey.
cslifornfA Frat Growers ExchsnRe
Bun I-,sA Auarele s,