Sunkist® stories, articles & musings

Built by Growers, Led by Growers

From childhood days in Lindsay to leading the world’s most iconic citrus cooperative, Jim Phillips is carrying forward a story 130 years in the making.

Walk the rows of Hermosa Ranch in Lindsay, California, and you’ll quickly understand that Jim Phillips and his wife, Debbie, don’t just grow citrus — they embody the history, heart, and future of Sunkist.

Jim is a fourth‑generation Sunkist grower, raised in a family where citrus wasn’t just the family business — it was the family identity. Today he serves as the President & CEO of Sunkist, representing nearly 1,000 growers across California and Arizona who trust their fruit, their livelihoods, and their legacy to the co‑op.

Debbie, equally rooted in the citrus world, brings warmth, advocacy, and a deep connection to the brand’s cultural meaning — a meaning that reached into their own family in ways they never expected.

A Legacy Passed Down Through Generations

Jim’s citrus roots go all the way back to Lindsay, California, where his great‑grandfather managed citrus groves. His grandfather came next, then his father, who ran a custom farm‑management business after serving in the military.

Jim grew up pruning citrus trees, irrigating, and driving tractors — always at the side of someone he adored.

“My grandfather, Glenn Ballew, was my best friend,” Jim says. “He taught me work ethic, integrity, and respect. He taught me that the world meets nobody halfway. Those lessons shaped everything I am.”

Those days — dusty, honest, full of quiet wisdom — still anchor Jim as he leads one of the most recognized agricultural brands in the world.

Growing Citrus — And a Community

To Jim, Sunkist isn’t a corporation. It’s a community of growers — many third, fourth, even fifth generation — who depend on each other.

“I’m proud to represent a thousand growers,” he says. “It means something. They’ve invested their lives into this.”

Sunkist is also unique. Growers come from all walks of life — doctors, lawyers, airline pilots, multi‑generation farmers — choosing citrus not because it’s easy, but because it’s meaningful.

“Growing citrus today is not for the faint of heart,” Jim says. “But that makes it even more fulfilling.”

Debbie sees that community up close, too. When they relocated from their longtime home in the valley to a new area, she was shocked how many people had never met a farmer.

“They get so excited to meet someone who grows their food,” she says. “You realize how fortunate we are to be part of this life.”

A Brand Synonymous With Trust — Across the World

For both Jim and Debbie, Sunkist has been woven into their lives since childhood. Debbie remembers calling every orange a “Sunkist,” not realizing it was a brand — just assuming the name meant citrus. It’s what she saw in stores, in commercials, at lemonade stands.

Jim remembers a commercial from the 1960s:
“If it doesn’t say Sunkist, you don’t know what’s inside.”
In the ad, an orange cracked open like an egg and a purple dinosaur popped out — funny at the time, meaningful now.

“It was about quality,” he says. “About trust.”

And that trust is global.

“Sunkist was the first branded citrus in many Asian markets,” Jim explains. “Even with global competition, Sunkist is still number one in consumer perception. The quality, the flavor — it still resonates.”

Innovation: Preparing for the Next 130 Years

Jim takes his role as CEO seriously — not as a title, but as a responsibility. His focus is on honoring the past while building a more advanced, efficient, sustainable future.

That includes:

• Micro‑irrigation and advanced water efficiency
• Reduced tillage and improved air quality practices
• Integrated pest management and biological controls
• Renewable energy where feasible
• Optical grading, internal quality sensors, and robotics in packing
• Sustainable packaging innovation
• Exploration of new citrus varieties like Cara Cara and blood oranges
• AI and data-driven decision-making

“We have to be progressive,” he says. “Our work today must set the stage for the next century.”

Why He Still Loves It — After a Lifetime in Citrus

Despite the challenges — water, labor, regulation — Jim is energized by citrus.

“It’s meaningful,” he says. “When your life’s work produces something healthy, something joyful… it’s fulfilling.”

But he’s most inspired when he talks about the brand itself.

“A brand is nothing if it doesn’t mean something,” he says. “And Sunkist means something. To growers. To consumers. To people around the world.”

A Fourth‑Generation Legacy, A Fifth in the Making

Jim and Debbie’s story isn’t just about leadership or acreage. It’s about the values passed down through generations — from Glenn Ballew’s lessons in a pickup truck to the Cara Cara campaign that touched their family in a profound way.

It’s about:

• Integrity
• Hard work
• Community
• Family
• Quality
• Purpose

And at the center of it all is citrus — the crop that shaped their childhood, their marriage, their careers, and their hope for the next generation.

“It’s special,” Jim says simply. “It means a lot. And I’m honored to be part of it.”