The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center named The Wonderful Company the winner of the 2016 Corporate Citizenship Award, in the category of Best Community Improvement Program. The award recognizes the company’s continued community development efforts in the town of Lost Hills, where more than 50 percent of households have family members who work at the nearby Wonderful Pistachios plant.

With an investment to date exceeding $15 million, Wonderful has completed extensive infrastructure improvements throughout the community, including paved roads; installation of sidewalks, bus shelters, storm drains and streetlights; and revitalized the community park with two community centers, two soccer fields, a volleyball court, basketball court, playgrounds, and a broad range of community activities and events. The company has also helped build affordable housing, finance and build the town’s first sit-down restaurant, and recently received approval from the Kern County Board of Education to open a charter school in the community next fall. 

“All of us at The Wonderful Company are honored to be recognized by the Chamber with their prestigious Citizens Award,” said Lynda Resnick, vice chair and co-owner of The Wonderful Company. “As a leading employer across California’s Central Valley, we are committed to giving back in the places where our employees live and work, and nowhere does that promise ring truer than in Lost Hills, where we’ve dedicated our time and resources to revitalizing the community and giving its residents life-changing opportunities and a renewed spirit of hometown pride."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Awards honor businesses for their significant positive impacts in communities around the world. For 17 years, this awards program has illustrated how every day businesses serve as a powerful force for good. Companies and chambers of commerce from across the globe compete for the Citizens, making them one of the most coveted opportunities for recognition in corporate citizenship.

“The Wonderful Company is a true community partner to the people of Lost Hills,” said Marc DeCourcey, Senior Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center. “Their strategic and sustainable investments in Lost Hills will positively impact the community for years to come.”

The Chamber Foundation announced the winners of the 2016 Citizens Awards on November 17 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the awards program here, and visit here to discover more about The Wonderful Company’s work in Lost Hills.

About The Wonderful Company

Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Wonderful Company is a privately held $4 billion global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands. The company’s 7,800 employees worldwide are dedicated to bringing consumers everywhere the freshest, most wholesome pistachios, almonds, citrus and pomegranates; bottling the finest water and wines; and creating colorful bouquets that are sure to touch the heart. This commitment is reflected in the company’s market share: Wonderful Pistachios is America’s No. 1 tree nut brand and one of the top-selling salty snacks; Wonderful Halos is the No. 1 mandarin orange in America; POM Wonderful is the No. 1 100% pomegranate brand in America; FIJI Water is America's No. 1 premium bottled water brand; Teleflora is the No. 1 floral delivery service through local florists; and JUSTIN Wine has the No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon in California. A 2016 Nielsen study evaluating the familiarity, quality, and momentum of more than 2,500 leading brands revealed that Wonderful Company products dominated the top 10 lists of consumers across all generations, more than any other consumer goods company.

The Wonderful Company’s connection to consumers has health at its heart and giving back in its DNA. The company has a long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibility, including more than $120 million invested in environmental technologies and sustainability research, $45 million in charitable giving and education initiatives every year, $30 million toward the construction of a new charter school campus in California’s Central Valley, and innovative health and wellness programs, including two new, free primary care clinics for employees and their dependents. 

To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products and core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness. We educate the public on the conditions necessary for business and communities to thrive, how business positively impacts communities, and emerging issues and creative solutions that will shape the future.

The U.S .Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.