BAKERSFIELD, CA - John Giumarra, Vice President of Giumarra Vineyards and produce industry veteran, has now been elected President and CEO by the company’s shareholders as the company moves into a new era of growth and development. Giumarra Vineyards is one of California’s leading producers of California table grapes, as well as a major breeder of new patented table grape varieties and one of the largest employers in Kern County, California.
“I am honored to hold the position of President and CEO of Giumarra Vineyards and trust that I can do as well in leading the company as my retiring predecessor, Sal Giumarra,” Mr. Giumarra said. “My job will be made much easier by an outstanding group of next generation family members who will hold all the major positions at Giumarra Vineyards, namely, George Giumarra, Executive Vice President; Randy Giumarra, Vice President of Sales; Jeff Giumarra, Chief Financial Officer; Joe Giumarra; David Stanley; LeRoy Kuntz, Vice Presidents of Field Operations; Mimi Corsaro Dorsey, Vice President of Marketing, and Gina Giumarra McArthur, our new Board member.”
Mr. Giumarra has also expressed his anticipation for the company’s future, noting Giumarra Vineyards’ upcoming new patented table grape varieties in a recent press release.
Mr. Giumarra stated, “I am very excited about the company’s future. We will be introducing a number of new table grape varieties in 2015, and will be licensing other table grape growers to produce these new patented varieties.”
Among the most interesting of the new varieties are:
Arra 29 - An early red seedless, which Giumarra believes will replace the Flame Seedless because of its bright red color, large yield per acre and crunchy sweet flavor.
Arra 16 a.k.a. Sweet 16 - A replacement for late Sugraones and Thompson Seedless, and an elongated, crunchy white seedless variety.
Arra 30 a.k.a. Supreme Seedless - A creamy colored, pleasant flavored, large white seedless grape that will compete against the Sugraone.
Arra 28 - An easy coloring, bright red seedless, which is much easier to grow than the Crimson and which will compete directly against the Crimson.
Arra 15 a.k.a. Sweeties - A variety, which presents an exceptionally large, elongated white seedless with extremely high sugar/flavor and maximum crunchiness, producing in mid-August through September and later out of the cold storage.
Arra 27 - A large uniformly colored black seedless, which is early and prolific.
These varieties, and others, which are in the developmental stage, will propel the company’s growth in the future and enable it to provide new varieties of table grapes which are high in flavor, are good eating and have the unique taste experiences that retailers and wholesalers are seeking for their customers.
Mr. Giumarra has been very active in produce industry affairs over the years, serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Wine Institute representing almost all of California’s wineries, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the California Table Grape Commission, has served on the Board of Directors of the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, the Produce Marketing Association, and was on the wine tasting panel of the Los Angeles Times newspaper for many years.
Mr. Giumarra has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America, the premiere culinary teaching institution in the United States, and also served as finance committee chairman of the Institution.
“The future looks very bright at Giumarra Vineyards,” Mr. Giumarra concluded.
Mr. Giumarra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley as well, along with a Juris Doctor Law degree from Stanford University. He was a Book Review Editor of the Stanford Law Review, and attended UCLA’s Graduate School of Business Administration.
Congratulations, Mr. Giumarra, on the company’s amazing legacy thus far, and the evolution of Giumarra Vineyards left to come.
