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D'Arrigo Brothers

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D'Arrigo Brothers
Company typePrivate
Founded1923 as D'Arrigo Brothers
FoundersAndrea D'Arrigo, Stefano D'Arrigo, Stephen D'Arrigo
HeadquartersSpreckels, California, USA
Key people
John D'Arrigo, CEO Chad Amaral, V.P. Marketing
ProductsLettuce, Broccoli, Cauliflower, other Vegetables
Websitewww.andyboy.com

D'Arrigo Brothers is a California-based grower and seller of fresh lettuce, broccoli, broccoli rabe (rapini), cauliflower and other vegetables, as well as cactus pear. It is a family business that has been in the D'Arrigo brothers' families since its founding in 1923.[1] It is composed of 3 D'Arrigo Brothers entities, respectively headquartered in Boston, New York City, and Spreckels, California.

History

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Brothers Andrea and Stefano D’Arrigo emigrated from Sicily to the United States in 1904 and 1911, respectively.[2] They both obtained engineering degrees and served during World War I before starting their produce business. In 1923 the two brothers established their first business in Boston, bringing fresh produce from around the country to the Boston market.[3] While on a trip to California in 1925, Stefano D’Arrigo noted the abundance of land perfect for growing produce near what is now San Jose, California With a packet of broccoli seeds from Sicily, the brothers established a growing operation on the West Coast. That operation is now headquartered in Spreckels, California 50 miles south of San Jose in the Salinas Valley, sometimes called the Salad Bowl of the World.

The brothers developed a refrigeration system to keep produce fresh during cross-country train trips, and became the first company to ship fresh fruits and vegetables from California to the East Coast of the United States, year-round. This was unprecedented at the time, and initiated the modern fresh produce industry. The company trademarked "Andy Boy" in 1927 as the first-ever brand of fresh vegetables in the United States.[4][5][6][7] After many years in Boston, the D’Arrigo brothers opened their New York operation in 1948 with Andrea's oldest son, Stephen, in charge.

Like all of the other major agribusinesses of the Salinas Valley, D'Arrigo Brothers have had their share of difficulties with labor shortages and strikes.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Operations

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The Boston and New York operations serve as distribution centers for fresh produce. The California operation serves as both a growing operation with over 30,000 acres under cultivation,[4] and a distribution center, with approximately 3,000 employees.[15]

In August 2006 D'Arrigo Brothers opened a new headquarters facility that would house cooling, shipping, business and administrative operations all under one roof.[16][17]

In 2011 D'Arrigo Brothers introduced four new, improved varieties of cactus pears— orange, red, purple and green — that are firmer, sweeter and juicier than the traditional variety.[18][19] The climate of the Santa Clara Valley and Salinas Valley, where they grow their cactus pear, is ideally suited for these unusual fruits.[20]

In December 2015, 'Andy Boy' D'Arrigo, the namesake of their premier brand, retired.[21]

In 2016, D'Arrigo Brothers partnered with Driscoll's berry growers to use the newly expanding D'Arrigo cooler facility for Driscoll's berries.[22]

In 2017 D’Arrigo Brothers initiated a 2.2 megawatt solar power system that allows them to lower utility bills by about $1 million annually.[23][24] This has expanded in 2018 by an additional 1.1 megawatts, and in mid-2018 should increase to a total of 5.5 megawatts.[25]

D'Arrigo Clinic

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In July 2012 the Natividad Medical Center launched D’Arrigo Family Specialty Services to benefit a patient population that includes many farmworkers, based on a donation from the D'Arrigo Brothers.[26][27]

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References

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  1. ^ "D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of New York Inc". Food and Drink International.
  2. ^ "The Packer: A Century of Produce, 1893-1993". 1993.
  3. ^ "D'Arrigo Brothers" – via www.youtube.com.
  4. ^ a b "Andy Boy". Andy Boy.
  5. ^ "Eighty-Seven Years feeding a nation. The D'Arrigo Bros and their Andy Boy brand set an example for us all. A company with a "Societal Conscience"".
  6. ^ "Andrew and Phyllis D'Arrigo Charitable Foundation". Andrew and Phyllis D’Arrigo Charitable Foundation.
  7. ^ Leon, Melissa De (February 1, 2016). "Andy D'Arrigo, the Original "Andy Boy," Retires". ANUK Mobile.
  8. ^ Neuburger, Bruce (2013). Lettuce Wars. ISBN 9781583673324.
  9. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2018-02-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "D'Arrigo Bros. of California v. United Farmworkers of America – Court of Appeal Tosses Agricultural Company's Lawsuit". March 24, 2014.
  11. ^ "Timeline".
  12. ^ Bacon, David (1999). "Every Worker is an Organizer". Working USA. 2 (6): 67–76. doi:10.1111/j.1743-4580.1999.tb00135.x.
  13. ^ Mitchell, Daniel J. B. (November 22, 2004). "Recent Developments in California Labor Relations" – via escholarship.org. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ^ Wu, Amy. "Severe labor shortage drives ag bill". The Salinas Californian.
  15. ^ "D'Arrigo Bros. Co. of California | Major Employers in Salinas". Salinas, California.
  16. ^ "D'Arrigo Bros. opens cooler in Spreckels". The Produce News - Covering fresh produce around the globe since 1897.
  17. ^ "D'Arrigo Bros Co, of California (Andy Boy) "A Day in the Life"" – via www.youtube.com.
  18. ^ "Market Watch: Elevating the cactus pear". Los Angeles Times. November 4, 2011.
  19. ^ Felker, P; Stintzing, F.C; Müssig, E; Leitenberger, M; Carle, R; Vogt, T; Bunch, R (2008). "Colour inheritance in cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruits". Annals of Applied Biology. 152 (3): 307–318. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7348.2008.00222.x.
  20. ^ Nobel, Park S; de la Barrera, Erick; Beilman, David W; Doherty, Jennifer H; Zutta, Brian R (2002). "Temperature Limitations for Cultivation of Edible Cacti in California". Madroño. 49 (4): 228–236. JSTOR 41425474.
  21. ^ "'Andy Boy' D'Arrigo bids adieu". The Salinas Californian.
  22. ^ Hillen, Laura (November 9, 2016). "Driscoll's and D'Arrigo Bros. Co., of California Form "Fresh, Sweet, and Sustainable" Partnership". And Now U Know.
  23. ^ "D'Arrigo Bros. Co. unveils solar power system in Salinas". Farm Progress. May 6, 2016.
  24. ^ Co, D’Arrigo Bros; CA, of (May 6, 2016). "CalCom Solar Deploys A 2.2MW Solar System At D'Arrigo Bros. Co., Of CA".
  25. ^ "D'Arrigo California Adds 1.1 Megawatts (MW) of Solar Power to Monterey County's Largest Privately Owned Solar Projects Designed by CalCom Solar | CalCom Solar". Archived from the original on 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  26. ^ "Grand opening for d'Arrigo clinic | Natividad Medical Center". Archived from the original on 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  27. ^ "Andrew & Phyllis D'Arrigo Charitable Foundation". Natividad Foundation.
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