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Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds

Nuts!

This experience is designed for landscape mode only.

California Grown

From our farm to you.

Here in the San Joaquin Valley, the warm days and cool nights work in harmony with the region’s naturally rich soils to create perfect growing conditions for the perfect snack — nuts that are heart-healthy and a good source of fiber, loved by consumers around the globe.

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds is the world’s largest grower and processor of almonds and pistachios; in tandem with our Grower Partners, we farm 125,000 sunny acres (50,000 hectares) that deliver 450 million pounds (204 million kg) of nuts.

Our speciality crops are grown, processed and marketed under one entity, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, ensuring the finest quality every step of the way — from our trees to your hearts.

Our Mission

We aspire to provide our customers with consistently superior quality, food safety and service by holding ourselves to standards far beyond our direct competition.

We strive for environmental sustainability in our processes, technologies and packages by conserving energy, water and other resources.

We are proud to grow and process healthy products for healthier lives. And every day, we try to make them better.

From our trees to your hearts.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices

As farmers, we believe that what you put into your body matters. The most nutritious – and best-tasting – foods are those that come from nature.

That’s why we are dedicated to our role as environmental stewards, investing significant time and resources on implementing water-efficient irrigation practices, bio-rational pest control, and efforts to reduce energy use. And we are continually evaluating how we can further reduce our impact while continuing to harvest the most delicious, nutritious snacks.

Water Stewardship

We believe that reducing water usage is the most important issue facing California farming today, and have invested nearly $25 million in exploring water-efficient irrigation practices. In our orchards, we use the most up-to-date methods available, monitoring and adjusting water usage hourbyhour based on real-time data such as soil moisture, temperature, solar radiation, humidity and wind. Our trees are the best indicator as to how this technology is working, and we visually inspect our orchards daily. This personal attention ensures our trees are getting just the right hydration, keeping them healthy and productive – without wasting a drop.

Energy Efficiency

We’ve been operating under solar power at Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds since 2007, when we opened what was then the largest single-site, privately owned operating solar plant in the U.S. The 1.1 mega-watt, $7.5 million solar plant supplies about 15% of the energy that the company’s nut processing facility uses each year. The alternative power generated by the plant eases the burden on our local power supplier and on the California power grid while reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. We also invested $2.5 million to install our own power substation in our Lost Hills facility, reducing consumption from the state’s power grid by 25%.

Bio-rational Pest Control

Our growers use a number of alternative insect control methods developed by our sister company, Suterra, including mating disruption pheromones and insect growth regulators in tandem with an understanding of the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. We also deploy pheromone control programs to target specific pests while protecting pollinators and beneficial insects. In some cases, we also use mechanical controls, including pheromone trapping and lures to reduce insect populations, or the targeted use of non-aerosol, “flowable” pesticides that are administered via water irrigation systems for precise applications.

Charitable Giving

Wonderful Pistachios and Wonderful Almonds have long been dedicated to California’s Central Valley. Not only do we provide jobs to thousands of local employees throughout the region, but we also promote environmentally sound farming and processing practices.

Our commitment to the Central Valley goes beyond economic development and sustainability. We believe in investing in the Central Valley communities where our employees live and work, and we value the shared benefits that are a natural result of this commitment.

For example, we helped underwrite the Central Valley’s first charter school, the Wonderful College Prep Academy, targeting historically underserved students and preparing middle school and high school students for college and beyond. We also spearheaded the Central Valley’s first LEED-certified pre-school created to introduce the youngest members of the community to a lifetime of learning.

Our investment in community health includes our $4 million donation to Children’s Hospital Central California, providing seed money to fund a new 60,000-square-foot expansion of the Children’s Emergency Department and Trauma Program. Our donation of solar lights to illuminate the Lost Hills Park basketball court helps residents to maintain fitness, and our underwriting of a Grower’s Market brings the freshest, healthiest fruits and vegetables to the community every month.

1% for the Planet

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, a growing movement of more than 1,200 companies and brands that donate 1% of their annual sales to organizations in support of environmental causes. Supporting 1% for the Planet represents a natural extension of our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability, both in the Central Valley and around the world.

The Harvest

Reaping the Reward

Our pistachios and almonds peak in the cool, crisp air of California’s autumn. Harvest is a critical time for ensuring our nuts maintain their highest quality — from the moment they are shaken off of the tree to the time they are loaded for transport around the world.

At Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds we pride ourselves on a processing approach that is one of our most important points of difference. Our pistachios go from tree to silo in less than 24 hours, and our unique ability to safely store these nuts creates a steady supply of pistachios and almonds throughout the year and from one growing season to the next.

Processing

Preparing Our Nuts for Market

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds nuts are known the world over for their fresh and unexpected take on a delightfully simple snack food. Our nuts owe their characteristic taste and crunchy texture to California’s sunny climate and fertile soil, of course, but their rich, distinctive flavor is the direct result of a processing approach unrivaled in the industry.

Our facilities are equipped with the most advanced processing technology available, allowing us to efficiently sort, grade, process, roast, flavor and package billions of nuts each year. Once packaged, our nuts are housed in cold storage facilities to maintain ideal conditions until they are shipped. We are committed to providing the highest-quality nuts to our customers and consumers worldwide, and that includes our pledge to meet or exceed all FDA and USDA standards for food safety.

In the U.S. we are planning for future growth in our orchards. Our $150 million, multi-plant modernization effort is currently underway, featuring updated facilities that are custom designed and engineered to enhance the work of our dedicated plant employees.

Our Plants

Preparing for Future Growth

The $150 million multi-plant modernization that we are currently executing is the first part of a five-year, $300 million capital expenditure program that is designed to add capacity, capability and food safety measures for both almonds and pistachios.

Lost Hills is our main processing campus, home to our largest pistachio processing facility and our almond processing and manufacturing plants. The Lost Hills facilities are undergoing significant capital expenditures, including state-of-the-art enhancements to Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds' capacity, capability and food safety.

New Pistachio Processing Facility

  • 91,000 square feet
  • Increase finished production by 30%. Space for five roasters and 11 packaging lines
  • A step-change in enhanced food safety for pistachio processing. 100% Continuous flow processing from silo to packaging with intermediate stainless steel holding tanks
  • Space for a Buhler Barth pistachio pasteurizer

Pistachio Silo Expansion

  • 20 Additional silos

Pistachio Huller 1 Expansion

  • Additional capacity of 100 truckloads of harvested pistachios per day

New Almond Pre-Processing Facility

  • 40,000 square feet
  • 110 million pounds of capacity for pre-processing
  • Three pre-processing production lines

King Facility – All our flavored and specialty pistachio processing is done at our King Road Processing Facility, which is also undergoing a state-of-the-art modernization to enhance capacity, capability and food safety.

New Pistachio Processing Facility

  • 55,000 square feet
  • Two roasters and four packaging lines
  • A step-change in enhanced food safety for pistachio processing. 100% Continuous flow processing from silo to packaging with intermediate stainless steel holding tanks
  • Buhler Barth pasteurizer installation complete

Silo Expansion

  • Seven additional silos

New Columbia – Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds is developing a new processing and packaging facility that will incorporate our knowledge and experience gained over the last 20 years to develop the most advanced and efficient pistachio plant in the industry. The facility will start out as a hulling operation, much like our El Dorado location, and will evolve over five to 10 years into a state-of-the-art processing and packaging facility with approximately 20 silos.

Packaging

Range and Flexibility

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds offers products packaged in a number of ways that suit specific needs — from “super sacks” to full-pallet triwalls to bag-in-box bulk cases. We also offer vertical form-fill-and-seal pillow and flat-bottom bags, stand-up pouches, zipper-seal packaging, tubs, jugs and folding cartons. Once packaged, our nuts are stored in our cold storage facilities that keep them in ideal condition until they are shipped to market. Scanner technology is used throughout our operation to pinpoint the location of each item in our inventory. Our custom-designed online portal allows our business customers to remotely access information about their order status and expected delivery.

Food Safety & Quality

Protecting the Food Chain

Food safety is more than a core competency at Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds. It’s a point of pride. The health and wellness of our consumers is a priority for everyone who comes into contact with our pistachios and almonds.

We process all our almonds and pistachios in separate facilities, eliminating the possibility of allergen cross-contamination. Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds mandates food safety awareness training at all levels of our organization, and our food safety outreach program invites academic and food safety experts to regularly review our internal systems and procedures.

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds has also long employed Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), including:

  • Test hold and release program for all ready-to-eat products
  • Verified sanitation program featuring documented food safety practices
  • Environmental swabbing programs
  • State-of-the-art pasteurization techniques
  • Third-party testing of key product attributes
  • On-site quality testing
  • Validated control processes for microbiological intervention
  • Comprehensive internal audit program

As part of our processing facilities redevelopment program, we’ve taken several additional steps to ensure the safety of our nuts: Metal buildings have been replaced with concrete structures, HEPA filtration systems now eliminate airborne contaminants, and our wet-slurry aflatoxin lab was custom-built to meet stringent European Union regulations and uses high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in testing.

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds is an industry leader in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and we have integrated the GAP checklist process in all crops with an emphasis on field sanitation and product integrity.

Consumer Products

Developing the Category

Each of our brands has been developed with the consumer in mind - take a peek at their favorites and what they are taking home to their families.

Wonderful Pistachios®

The totally natural guilt-free snack! Wonderful Pistachios are naturally cholesterol free, nutrient dense and one of the lowest-calorie, lowest-fat nuts. Wonderful Pistachios offer antioxidants and polyphenols, and a handful - about 30 kernels - is a deliciously satisfying snack at about 100 calories. Heart-healthy Wonderful Pistachios are available nationwide. Look for the sleek and sophisticated package in your grocer’s produce section.

Marketing & Sales

Growing the category and the brand

A successful brand starts with effective marketing. That’s why the Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds team works to develop breakthrough advertising, merchandising, and public relations campaigns that are driven by valuable consumer insights.

Our on-going marketing investment and innovative advertising campaigns have kept the pistachio category and Wonderful Pistachios brand relevant, and continue to generate incredible excitement and buzz among consumers. This strategic, long-term marketing investment has put Wonderful Pistachios at the top of the snack nut category, with no close second.

But we aren’t stopping there. Now that we have established the brand worldwide, we are continuing to invest in both long-term category and brand growth. Our goal is to build Wonderful Pistachios into the #1 snack nut brand in the hearts and minds of our three key stakeholders—consumers, retailers, and growers.

Products

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds offers food manufacturers a full line of in-shell and shelled pistachio products as well as a complete line of almond products, all packaged and shipped to exact customer specifications. From the smallest order to the largest, our dedicated and knowledgeable sales staff works diligently to ensure total customer satisfaction.

Pistachios

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds processes in-shell pistachios and kernels in a range of grades and sizes. Higher grade and huller-run pistachios are also available upon request. Contact us so that we can help you with the right products and specifications for your needs.

Almonds

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds’ almonds are available in a complete line of natural, manufactured and in-shell products with a range of sizes and forms. Contact us so that we can help you with the right products and specifications for your needs.

Buyers

Safety and Quality

Food safety is more than a core competency at Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds. It’s a point of pride. The health and wellness of our consumers is a priority for everyone who comes into contact with our pistachios and almonds.

Our Food Safety program includes:

  • Robust and industry-leading environmental swabbing program for food and non-food contact points
  • Extensive food safety training with mandatory compliance initiatives for all employees
  • Hand sanitizers, foot baths and other measures incorporated into all ready-to-eat areas
  • Dedicated and trained sanitation teams
  • Master sanitization schedule including foaming, dry cleaning techniques and dry ice blasters throughout all facilities, supported by dedicated plant-specific teams
  • Outreach program that invites university professors, industry food safety experts, technical consultants and microbiologists to review our food safety procedures

Our Quality Assurance program includes:

  • Test, hold and release program for all products, ensuring compliance with specifications
  • Upgraded, custom-designed Statistical Process Control system
  • Contracts with accredited ISO-17025 third-party laboratory with on-site testing facilities and capability to adhere to U.S., E.U. and other international testing protocols
  • Almond pasteurization process approved by the Almond Board of California
  • Robust pistachio pasteurization in place
  • 100% allergen separation between pistachios and almonds
  • Weekly testing on all flavored products against sensory benchmarks

Our Quality Control program includes:

  • All facilities are staffed with full-time and dedicated Quality Control personnel
  • Each manufacturing process is supervised by Quality Control personnel

All Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds facilities are:

  • FSSC 22000 certified
  • Audited by various third-party, County, and State regulatory agencies
  • Staffed with USDA inspectors on-site

Growers

Come Grow With Us

Demand for California pistachios is growing steadily every year. And so are the numbers of growers who are recognizing the profit potential of pistachios and aligning themselves with the undisputed industry leader—Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds.

In fact, more than half of California’s pistachio growers have chosen to partner with Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds. That’s because as the world’s largest pistachio processor, we have the resources to do more for our Grower Partners. Our services set the industry standard, with priority handling at harvest, year-round personal service and fast access to the most up-to-date industry information available. And our marketing programs are far and away the most comprehensive in the business—especially when you factor in the power of our Wonderful Pistachios retail brand, the industry’s bestseller. As a vertically integrated company, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds has built its leadership position in pistachios from the ground up. We invite you to grow with us.

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds is first and foremost a grower organization. And to us, grower profitability is the #1 priority. That’s why we invest four times more in farming than we do in processing. In a recent survey, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds’ growers rated our service as “excellent.” Here’s why:

  1. A Commitment to Growth and Leadership

    As a grower partner, you will enjoy the benefit of the most modern and efficient processing facilities in the industry, resulting in:

    • Assurance your pistachios are processed at the optimal time, maximizing quality and grower profitability
    • Reliable trucking from orchard to plant
    • Efficient truck turn times (3-hour average)
    • 24-hour pack-out information available after truck delivery
  2. Premium Service

    • Our full-time staff is available to answer questions on everything from cultural practices and market/sales conditions to environmental and governmental issues.
  3. Payment Flexibility

    • Our flexible payment terms allow growers to defer and advance compensation.
    • Our standard Payment schedule is the most rewarding in the industry.
  4. Financial Security

    • Our minimum price is 100% guaranteed-in your hands, in full, on the scheduled payment date.
    • Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds stabilizes returns for the entire industry by carrying out sufficient volume to maintain attractive market pricing levels year after year.
  5. Maximum Grower Returns

    • Our aggressive early minimum price stabilizes market conditions that enhance buyer confidence and support grower profitability.
    • In recent years, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds pack-outs have been considered the highest performing and most consistent in the industry.
  6. Growth with Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds

    At Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, we may be big, but we sweat the small stuff. And that means we’re 100% committed to offering our growers the respect, individualized attention and financial returns they deserve.

  7. The Power of the Wonderful Pistachios Brand and Promotions

    Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds markets its pistachios to retail under the Wonderful Pistachios label—America’s #1 Pistachio brand.

    • With effective merchandising, Wonderful Pistachios generates more sales and works harder than any other brand to increase demand and create new pistachio consumers.
    • Only Wonderful Pistachios provide in-store, year-round promotions.
    • Wonderful bagged pistachios outsell the leading competition by four times.

For more information on our Grower Partners Program and how you can profit from a partnership with Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, please call our Grower Relation General Manager, Andy Anzaldo, at (661)797-6740. www.growerpartner.com

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds LLC and Wonderful Growers Cooperative
13646 Highway 33, Lost Hills, California 93249-9719
In association with CAL-PURE® Pistachios, Inc.

Contact Consumer Affairs


For direct mail consumer inquiries, write to Wonderful Call Center, 13646 Hwy 33, Lost Hills, CA 93249












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