Sun World International, Bakersfield, Calif., moved its packing operations in-house.

The phased-in approach consists of four lines with an additional three lines projected to be complete by end of September. 

“The investments being made by Sun World and our partners in this infrastructure are driving new innovation for our customers, the opportunity to differentiate themselves and drive more margin and growth to the category,” says Jason Fuller, vice president of domestic sales. 

More benefits of the new packing operations include improved quality control, more flexibility on pack styles and ability to pack to order at scale. 

The new packing operations will be led by Cecilia Rivera, director of in-house packing, and Ted Yukawa, operations manager. Both Rivera and Yukawa joined the Sun World team in May, bringing advanced management styles that focus on worker empowerment and training, as well as efficiency and waste reduction.