Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Food products |
Founded | 1970 |
Founder | Chris J. Rufer |
Headquarters | Woodland, California |
Key people | Chris J. Rufer |
Website | morningstarco.com |
The Morning Star Company is a Woodland, California-based agribusiness and food processing company founded in 1970.[1] The company was originally founded as a trucking outfit[2] by Chris Rufer, who remains the sole owner.[3]
Morning Star processes about 40% of the California processing tomato production, and supplies a significant portion of the U.S. industrial tomato paste and diced tomato markets.[4] It processes about 5 million tons of tomatoes each year.[5] Its factories are capable of producing over 3,000 tons of tomatoes per hour.[6] It has approximately 550 full-time employees and over 2,500 seasonal workers during harvest season. The company's revenue exceeds $1 billion per year.[7] As of October 2023, it is the global market leader in tomato processing, supplying approximately "...10% of the world’s ingredient tomato products..."[8]
Morning Star is a vertically integrated company with affiliates producing and transplanting tomato seedlings, harvesting tomatoes, and delivering them to processing factories. [7]
The company has attracted attention for its philosophy of no supervisory management,[9] described by owner/founder, Chris Rufer, as "Mission Focused Self-Management." Workers are encouraged to innovate independently, define job responsibilities themselves, and even make equipment purchasing decisions in consultation with experts.[10] Similarly, compensation is based on peer evaluations.[11] Rufer has made large donations to libertarian political candidates, backing Libertarian Party presdential nominee Gary Johnson in 2016 and donating over $250,000 to independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2024.[12]
In 2013, Morning Star was listed as one of INC Magazine's Audacious Companies.[13]
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