The Morning Star Company

Morning Star is one of the world's largest tomato ingredient producers, founded in 1970 by Chris Rufer as a single-truck hauling operation in California's Central Valley. Today, the company operates three large-scale processing facilities located in the heart of California's tomato-growing region and supplies over 40 percent of U.S. national markets with ingredient tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Annual sales of tomato products exceed $800 million, and the company supplies approximately 10 percent of global tomato production, reaching customers in nearly 40 countries worldwide.

Morning Star's core product portfolio includes hot break and cold break tomato paste in a range of concentrations (26% to 37% NTSS), diced tomatoes in juice and puree, concentrated crushed tomatoes, fire roasted diced tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato sauce, and formulated tomato products such as ketchup base and chili sauce. The company also offers sun-dried tomatoes through its affiliate Valley Sun Products, dehydrated vegetable and fruit powders (tomato, apple, broccoli, and pumpkin), and a full line of retail and foodservice finished products including marinara, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and whole peeled tomatoes in various packaging formats.

Organic product lines are a significant part of the offering, encompassing organic hot break and cold break tomato paste, organic concentrated crushed tomatoes, and organic diced tomatoes in multiple cuts and pack styles. Bulk ingredient products are available in 300-gallon bins, 55-gallon drums, 30-pound and 25-pound bag-in-box formats, while retail and foodservice products are packed in cans ranging from 6 ounces to #10 size, as well as pouches and bag-in-box options.

The company maintains a vertically integrated operation supported by a network of affiliate enterprises covering tomato hauling and freight, agricultural seeds and transplants, greenhouse transplant production, ag research and development, foodservice formulated sauce production, and fiber drum manufacturing. This vertical integration allows Morning Star to maintain tight control over quality, supply continuity, and cost efficiency from field to finished product.

Morning Star is actively involved in global tomato industry research and has pioneered numerous advancements in tomato processing technology. The company is organized through a distinctive management philosophy called Mission Focused Self-Management, operating without formal titles or hierarchical authority structures. With deep roots in California's Central Valley and a global customer base spanning food manufacturers, foodservice operators, and retail trade, Morning Star positions itself as a reliable, large-scale, and innovation-driven supplier of tomato ingredients and finished tomato products.