The last citrus processing plant in the Valley is closing its Mesa facility after operating since the 1930s. The board of the Mesa Citrus Growers Association decided in May to close the plant, general manager Bill Faysak said Monday.
The facility at 254 W. Broadway Road is a cooperative owned by Valley growers who sell citrus under the Sunkist brand. It processed its last fruit at the end of the spring harvest and employees are beginning to wind down operations and sell equipment and the property. The decision to close comes as the number of citrus orchards has dwindled and crop prices haven't kept up with production costs.
iluvaz posted at 7:06 am on Tue, Jun 8, 2010.
[sad] Many teens worked there during the summer and other times when I was growing up in Mesa. Sad to see the Citrus Groves disappearing....
jmutt1 posted at 2:20 pm on Tue, Jun 8, 2010.
And yet they can't figure why their is more dust/dirt poluttion in the valley. All these orange groves being plowed down to build custom homes with the builders not concidering what the impact will be from removing these trees.
All this is because of the company BIG WIGS GREED, they want the biggest profit with the lowest cost.