California Miramar University

Sitting under the warm San Diego summer sun, there’s nothing more refreshing than enjoying the sweet taste of delicious fruit. That said, and because we have been recognizing many environmentally conscious companies lately, this week’s CalMU Small Business Spotlight Award goes to Sundia Corporation. Do you remember the last time you ate a fruit cup, the ideal snack because it’s healthy and already peeled so you can get right to devouring it? Well, that was probably made by Sundia.

The company was founded in 2004 by Bradford Oberwager, a well-known name in the corporate world. By emphasizing the importance of leading a healthy life and backing this up through its promotion of fruits and veggies, they have become a hit not just in California, but all around the world. They are the fastest growing company that sells produce in all of North America and have sold over 25 million cups in the US Canada to date.

However the fruit cup is not actually what they started with. They were originally focused on watermelons, wanting to be the first watermelon brand in the U.S. Through tenacity and hard work they were able to establish relationships with 4 of the top 5 suppliers and, as a result, are now responsible for 35% of the watermelons shipped in the country.

Now the fruit cups come into play. In 2007 they introduced their True Fruit fruit cups to both get healthy snacks into the hands of consumers and help people get their full servings of fruit everyday. Next time you go to the grocery store, take a look in the produce section; I’m sure you’ll find a delicious fruit cup to snack on while not feeling guilty about eating junk food.

Because their fruit cups were such a hit, they expanded their product line to include both organic and light options, the latter of which contains fruit in water and artificial sweetener instead of fruit insyrup. Both products have redefined the industry and have helped Sundia leave a global footprint on the industry (although not a carbon footprint, as they stress sustainability and are carbon neutral). Today they are more successful than ever and have acquired the license to sell Sunkist and Jamba Juice fruit cups to show it.

Ranked the 6th Most Promising Company by Forbes and the 2nd Fastest Growing Food & Beverage Company in the U.S. by Inc.com, they witnessed a 363% 3-year growth rate from 2007 to 2010, increasing their revenue from $2.2 million to $10.3 million. With a team of only 13, they have stayed true to their entrepreneurial roots and are still intent on putting the consumer at the center of their operations.

Thank you Sundia Corporation for providing us with delicious and nutritious snacks to satisfy our hunger pains, and thank you for teaching students in our online MBA programs and Hybrid MBA programs what it takes to create and grow a successful business: the desire, from the very beginning, to be a national leader.