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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][10] a holacracy[11] 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.[12] Similarly, compensation is based on peer evaluations.[13][14]

In 2013, Morning Star was listed as one of INC Magazine‘s Audacious Companies.[15]

History

Chris Rufer founded Morning Star in 1970 as the owner-operator, transporting tomatoes from fields to canneries. Morning Star established its first factory in Los Banos, CA in 1990, and later expanded by constructing a second facility in Williams, CA (1995) and built a third factory in Santa Nella, CA (2002).[16][17]

Production mechanism

Morning Star, as part of its innovative approach to tomato paste production, has implemented several changes to improve its factories. These changes include the use of gravity-fed systems to remodel the unloading process, energy-saving measures like cooling ponds and elevated unloading systems, and the introduction of a 300-gallon bag-in-box packaging system. As a result, these measures have improved the company’s ability to produce tomato paste that is both environmentally sustainable and efficient.[8][18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ “Morning Star Co/The – Company Profile and News”. Bloomberg News.
  2. ↑ Staff, Praxis (2015-06-09). “The Morning Star Company: A Praxis Business Partner”. Praxis. Archived from the original on 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  3. ↑ “Morning Star’s Success Story: No Bosses, No Titles, No Structural Hierarchy”. Corporate Rebels. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  4. ↑ Allen, Arthur (2010-03-19). “Rotten Tomatoes”. Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  5. ↑ “Morning Star”. Tomato News.
  6. ↑ gall_admin. “Join our Team – Morning Star Careers”. Tomato Processing and Packing Company – Morning Star Co. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  7. 1 2 Hamel, Gary (December 2011). “First, Let’s Fire All the Managers”. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  8. 1 2 gall_admin. “Tomato Processing Plant and Manufacturer – California Factories”. Tomato Processing and Packing Company – Morning Star Co. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  9. ↑ Wartzman, Rick. “If Self-Management Is Such a Great Idea, Why Aren’t More Companies Doing It?”. Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  10. ↑ “The Morning Star Company: Self-Management at Work – Case – Faculty & Research – Harvard Business School”. www.hbs.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  11. ↑ Mohan, Geoffrey (2016-03-15). “Tomato plant owner in $1.5-million battle with water regulators over waste and odors”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
  12. ↑ “I, Tomato: Morning Star’s Radical Approach to Management”. ReasonTV. Reason Foundation. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  13. ↑ Gino, Francesca; Staats, Bradley R.; Hall, Brian J.; Chang, Tiffany Y. (June 2016) [September 2013]. “The Morning Star Company: Self-Management at Work”. Harvard Business School Case 914-013. Revised.
  14. ↑ Morgan, Jacob. “How Morning Star Farms Operates Without Any Managers”. Forbes. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  15. ↑ Buchanan, Leigh (2013-04-18). “One Company’s Audacious Org Chart: 400 Leaders, 0 Bosses”. Inc.com. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  16. ↑ “Sacramento Valley growing more tomatoes thanks to water”. Daily Democrat. California, United States. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  17. ↑ gall_admin. “Tomato Processing and Packing Company – Morning Star Tomatoes”. Tomato Processing and Packing Company – Morning Star Co. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  18. ↑ gall_admin. “Sustainable Processing Practices for a Healthy Environment”. Tomato Processing and Packing Company – Morning Star Co. Retrieved 2023-10-06.