Valley citrus keeping The Fruit Guys stocked

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) --
Hurricane season raised concerns in the Florida citrus industry about a possible decrease in production, and Valley growers were ready to fill any shortages.

The Fruit Guys, a San Francisco-based company that supplies fruit and nut displays for offices across the U.S., says the need is on top of the already healthy demand for Valley fruit.

She says consumers can't get enough of the citrus grown in central California.

"If you want to get citrus in California, you're looking at the Central Valley. So we deal with many different farms up and down the Central Valley," says Erin Mittelstaedt, the CEO of the Fruit Guys.

The company offers delivery service to break rooms in offices and schools.

"We provide primarily fresh fruit and snacks to businesses nationwide," says Mittelstaedt.

The company relies heavily on California-grown produce.

Mittelstaedt thought additional citrus orders from the valley might be needed because hurricanes damaged some of the Florida crop.

"The USDA was reporting that the Florida production was going to be lower this year by about 16% already, before the hurricanes. And we expect that number to decrease as people assess the damage. Luckily, it looks like Florida trees weren't damaged and survived," says Mittelstaedt.

Many local citrus companies already have built-in markets to sell to, but Mittelstaedt says The Fruit Guys can broaden their reach.

"Our goal is to support the farm any way we can. Maybe some farms might not have distribution beyond a certain region. We can help get beyond that," says Mittelstaedt.

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