National Raisin started as a small raisin farm in Fowler in 1969, where three brothers, Ernest, Krikor and Kenny Bedrosian, served as owners, operators, managers and laborers. Photo contributed

A family business powered by the sun since 1969 has reached an agreement to sell its vertically integrated raisin operation to a Chilean company.

Empresas Sutil, based in Santiago, Chile, hopes to close the transaction for Sunshine Raisin Corp., also known as National Raisin Co., by the end of September, reported freshfruitportal.com.

National Raisin started as a small raisin farm in Fowler in 1969, where three brothers, Ernest, Krikor and Kenny Bedrosian, served as owners, operators, managers and laborers. It is now a three-generation family business known as the largest privately owned dried fruit processor in North America. It reported nearly 300 employees in 2021 with additional operations in Exeter, Farmersville and Coachella.

Empresas Sutil is also a family business, founded in 1982 by Juan Sutil. As of 2023 the second-generation business grows more than 3,000 acres  of fruit, employs 2,700 people, serves 17,000 farmers and processes fruit from 1,000 producers.

National Raisin said this deal will allow it to grow and diversify its international supply network in North America and Asia.

“The Bedrosian family and National Raisin Company are delighted to be part of this new global approach to dried fruit marketing. This event will bring greater stability to the global raisin market. More importantly, it will benefit California raisin growers, generating a direct positive impact from a global market perspective,” said J. Kenneth Bedrosian, chairman of the board of directors of National Raisin Company, in a statement.

Mark McCormick, CEO of National Raisin, said in a statement that his company has worked with the Sutil family for some time, as well as with Pacific Nut Co. for more than ten years. Pacific Nut has specialized in exporting dried fruits and nuts from Chile since 1992.

Sutil, the founder and chairman of the board of Empresas Sutil, said “as a family business, we are honored to receive the keys to National Raisin Company from the Bedrosian family.”

“We are committed to continue cultivating National’s long-lasting relationships with its employees, customers, California producers, suppliers, and the community, always aiming for excellence and guided by our core values of trust, accountability, transparency, and respect, which have inspired us in building Empresas Sutil for more than forty years,” he said in a statement.

National Raisin is known for its “Champion” brand of raisin, as well as its innovation for the “Raisel” flavored raisin snack founded in 2007. Raisels made the 2021 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies with 85% growth over three years.

The Bedrosian family and National Raisin are also known for their philanthropy, working with Fresno State fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon to raise more than $22,500 for the Armenian Missionary Association of America. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is also a past beneficiary.

National Raisin has also invested heavily into sustainable farming and energy practices, including the construction of an anaerobic digester as well as one of California’s largest privately owned solar installations.

National Raisin is the latest family-owned business to announce an acquisition. Last month, California Business Machines in Fresno was purchased by Roseville-based WiZiX Technology Group. And earlier this month, Betts Co. announced it was selling its BettsHD division to Minnesota-based High Bar Brands.

A year ago, Haron Jaguar Land Rover was sold to Unstoppable Automotive Group in Temecula.