The Wonderful Company announced an increase in its minimum wage to $15 an hour for its full-time California employees, going into effect on Jan. 1 2019.

The $80 million payroll investment is a 36-percent jump in pay for those earning the current state minimum wage of $11 per hour for large employers.

The Wonderful Company has 4,500 full-time employees in the state, and nearly half of them will see benefits from the company’s largest-ever wage increase, according to a news release.

“Our dedicated and hard-working employees are our greatest asset, and the reason for our tremendous success as a company,” said Stewart Resnick, chairman and president of The Wonderful Company. “This move firmly positions The Wonderful Company as the employer of choice in California’s Central Valley, and we encourage others in the agriculture industry to follow our lead.”

The increase is coming three years before the state will require all large employers to meet a $15-an-hour minimum wage.

“This substantial investment in our workers will have an immediate and meaningful impact on their lives,” said Lynda Resnick, vice chair and co-owner, The Wonderful Company. “In addition to providing our Central Valley employees and their families free health care and education, we are now able to help them achieve a significantly improved standard of living.”

The Wonderful Company is a privately held $4 billion global company headquartered in Los Angeles that has 9,000 employees worldwide. Some of its products include Wonderful Pistachios, Halos, POM Wonderful pomegranate water and FIJI Water.