Driscoll's facts for kids
Only the Finest Berries
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Driscoll's headquarters in Watsonville
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| Private | |
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| Founded | 1904 as Banner Berry Farm's Brand |
| Founders | Dick Driscoll, Ed Reiter |
| Headquarters | Watsonville, California, USA |
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Key people
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CEO Miles Reiter, Chairman of the Board |
| Products | Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. |
Driscoll's is a company from California that sells fresh strawberries and other berries. It is a family business that has been run by the Reiter and Driscoll families for many generations, since the late 1800s.
In 2017, Driscoll's sold about one-third of all berries in the United States. Their main office is in Watsonville, California. Driscoll's creates its own special types of berries. They then let certain farmers grow these berries only for them.
Contents
The Story of Driscoll's
How Driscoll's Started (Early 1900s)
The story of Driscoll's began a long time ago, in the late 1800s. A man named J.E. "Ed" Reiter and his brother-in-law, R. F. "Dick" Driscoll, started growing strawberries in California. This time was sometimes called the "California strawberry gold rush."
In 1902, Ed Reiter, Dick Driscoll, and Thomas Loftus worked together. They wanted to protect and sell their strawberries. They started wrapping each crate of strawberries with a paper ribbon. This ribbon had a big strawberry picture on it. Because of this, their strawberries became known as the "Banner" variety.
Driscoll's officially started in 1904. It was first called Banner Berry Farm's Brand. They kept Thomas Loftus as their secret supplier. They also grew only the Banner type of berries.
Later, in 1916, a plant sickness spread. It infected the Banner berry plants. So, Driscoll's had to start growing new types of berries. These new berries were developed by Harold Thomas and Earl Goldsmith from the University of California, Berkeley.
Growing Strong (1940s)
In the early 1900s, many Japanese immigrant farmers grew strawberries in the U.S. During World War II in 1942, many Japanese-American people were forced to leave their homes and farms. This caused big problems for the strawberry industry.
Driscoll's was one of the few companies that kept growing strawberries during the war. After the war, Driscoll's invited Japanese-American farmers, who had been held in camps, to work with them as growers. Around this time, the company also started using the name Driscoll Strawberry Associates.
In 1944, Harold Goldsmith and Earl Thomas left their university jobs. They started working for the Strawberry Institute of California. This happened after their university decided to stop its berry breeding program. The company bought their special berry plants and seeds. The Strawberry Institute of California later joined with Driscoll Strawberry Associates.
In 1946, Goldsmith and Thomas created a new berry type called Z5A. This berry could be shipped far away and grew fruit until late summer. This meant Driscoll's could sell strawberries when other growers had none. This berry was developed over 10 years and released in 1957. In 1966, the Strawberry Institute and Driscoll Strawberry Associates officially became one company.
Modern Times (1980s to Today)
Driscoll's mainly sold strawberries until the late 1980s. At that time, other big companies wanted to buy Driscoll's. But the company decided not to sell. Instead, they chose to grow other berries like raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
In the 1990s, Driscoll's invented the "clamshell" package. This is a clear plastic container that opens and closes like a shell. You often see berries sold in these today.
In 2008, Driscoll's was one of the first two California growers to send strawberries to People's Republic of China. That same year, the company was named "business of the year" by a local business group.
Driscoll's helps support a program that provides medical interpreters for people who speak special native languages. In 2015, Driscoll's joined a campaign to improve water policies in California.
Also in 2015, some workers and union leaders called for boycotts against Driscoll's. In response, Driscoll's announced new rules for how their growers should treat workers. They also started a program with Fair Trade USA to sell Fair Trade Certified organic strawberries and raspberries. Kevin Murphy became the new CEO in 2015, while Miles Reiter stayed as the chairman.
By 2016, Driscoll's started testing robots to pick strawberries. The company also changed its name from Driscoll's Strawberry Associates to Driscoll's, Inc.
In 2022, Driscoll's bought Berry Gardens Limited, a company that sells and distributes berries. They also agreed to buy Haygrove Africa Trading, a blueberry supplier in Africa.
Driscoll's Products
Driscoll's grows berries in 21 countries and sells them in 48 countries. They work with many different farmers to grow strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries (both red and yellow).
The berries are picked and packed right in the field. You can buy them as organic or non-organic. Driscoll's has farms in California, Florida, Mexico, and Australia. Their organic berries are checked and approved by the USDA. Driscoll's sells about 60 percent of all organic strawberries in the U.S.
Driscoll's follows special rules for food safety on all their farms and packing places. They have a team of 30 scientists. These scientists work only on strawberries. They try to make new and better kinds of berries at nine research stations around the world.
Images for kids
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Driscoll's sponsored Porsche 997 GT3 Cup competing in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge
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