Ben Moore is the CEO and founder of The Ugly Company. Photo contributed

A local food processor with a funny name and a noble mission has announced the opening of its new facility in the Central Valley.

The opening Wednesday of The Ugly Company’s Farmersville headquarters is just the latest development for the homegrown company that raised $9 million in funding earlier this year.

The Ugly Company sells dried fruit made from product that would usually be sent to a landfill because it isn’t attractive enough for store shelves — hence the name.

The new facility spans about 23.5 acres at 980 N. Farmersville Blvd. in the fast-developing Tulare County town of Farmersville. It includes a 17,500 square-foot building and 1,300 square-foot modular office, according to a real estate listing. An estimated 28 employees will be part of an initial hire for the company in various roles.

 

New technology at the facility includes a self-developed stick-removal machine, pit extractors imported from Italy and 32 fruit dehydration tunnels.

“Our new fruit processing facility represents a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainable and healthy snacking,” stated Ben Moore, founder and CEO of The Ugly Company. “We are proud to open this facility in Farmersville, as it allows us to support local farmers, contribute to the community’s economic growth, and bring our delicious and nutritious snacks to more people.”

The Ugly Company is also revamping its product packaging to provide greater insight and transparency into its products. It notes that each snack package is sourced from a single ingredient — the fruit — with no added artificial ingredients or sugars.

The packaging also shines a light on the farmers from the Central Valley from where its fruit is sourced. Last year, The Ugly Company prevented more than 2.17 million pounds of food waste. This year, it aims to turn 3 million pounds of perfectly good fruit, which otherwise would’ve been tossed or fed to cattle, into dried fruit.