Sun World International celebrated its 50th anniversary during its 2026 Symposium and Field Days, honoring Chairman David Marguleas for 40 years of leadership with the establishment of the David Marguleas Endowed Research Fund at UC Davis and the dedication of the David Marguleas Tasting Room at the Sun World Center for Innovation in Wasco, California.
According to the Sept. 9 news release, more than 450 growers, licensees, marketers, retailers, researchers and industry leaders gathered for the Bakersfield, California-based company’s event, which brought former breeders to the stage alongside Marguleas to recognize the scientific talent behind the fruit genetics company’s programs.
Founded in 1976 by David’s father, Howard Marguleas, along with Carl Maggio and Domenick Bianco, Sun World began as a California produce marketing company. Over five decades, the company introduced what it says were the first commercialized seedless watermelon, seedless table grapes and seedless lemons, evolving into a global fruit genetics and licensing business whose portfolio spans table grapes, mangoes, cherries, stone fruit, citrus and avocados. Its Autumncrisp grape is what the company calls the world’s first billion-dollar table grape brand.
‘Fruit can be better’
“Fifty years ago, Sun World was founded on a simple but ambitious idea: fruit can be better,” Marguleas said. “That idea has guided the company through every stage of its evolution, from early product introductions to the genetics, brands and global connections that define Sun World today. This anniversary is a celebration of the people who built that foundation and the opportunity we have to carry it forward.”
Marguleas joined Sun World in 1986 and held leadership roles for four decades, becoming president and CEO in 2019 and executive chairman in January 2025. During his tenure, Sun World evolved from a diversified produce marketer into a variety development and licensing business with a global network of licensed growers and marketers.
Advancing CA grape industry
The endowed research fund will provide support for UC Davis Viticulture & Enology students, faculty and researchers whose work advances California’s grape industry. The tasting room, a dedicated space where Sun World teams and guests can evaluate fruit and develop new consumer experiences, sits within the Center for Innovation, the company’s 160-acre breeding and genetics campus dedicated in 2020 to the memory of founder Howard P. Marguleas, placing the son’s name inside a facility that honors his father.
“David’s deep industry knowledge and commitment to discovery have helped shape who we are today,” said Bernardo Calvo, president and CEO of Sun World International. “He has helped set a standard for how Sun World approaches innovation: stay curious, bring the right people together and keep raising the bar for what fresh produce can deliver.”
Sun World maintains offices in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America, Israel and South Africa. Its 2024 acquisition of BioGold, a South African-based fruit variety rights manager, expanded its breeding and licensing portfolio to include citrus, mango and avocado.
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