Americans rarely think about where there food comes from. We've been lucky enough as a nation that shortages have been rare.
The Covid pandemic changed that and taught pretty much everyone the words “supply chain.” Disruptions in the supply chain caused explainable shortages, like when toilet paper and hand sanitizer were hard to find, and trickier ones, such as when Sriracha hot sauce was sold out everywhere.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) actually released a report attempting to explain what happened.
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“In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic substantially disrupted supply chains across the United States economy. Factories and ports across the globe shut down or greatly curtailed their operations to prevent the spread of illness. In turn, many of the key inputs needed to keep our economy running smoothly suddenly became scarce, causing production delays, product unavailability, and sudden price spikes,” it shared.
This wasn't an oddball situation where American couldn't get coconuts or some other nonessential items; it was a massive failure of the overall system.
“In effect, large sectors of our economy underwent a sudden stress test of their resilience and flexibility. For many Americans, disruption in the availability and prices of their usual groceries became a highly visible and direct impact of the COVID-19-related supply chain disruptions. Grocery stores and consumers experienced periodic shortages of certain food and household products, as well as major price hikes,” the FTC added.
Produce company files Chapter 7 bankruptcy
The Board of Directors of Corona-College Heights Orange & Lemon Association held a special meeting on June 24 and decided it was in the best interest of the corporation to file for Chapter 7, a liquidation bankruptcy. Bankruptcy documents were submitted to the court on July 7.
“Corona-College Heights Orange and Lemon Association, or simply CCH, began in September of 1899. Over its long history, CCH has survived several fires, more than a dozen freezes, the Great Depression, two World Wars, about 14 mergers and acquisitions and 100+ years of operating challenges to become one of the world's largest citrus packing houses. In 1996, CCH began marketing their fruit directly,” the company shared on one of its partner site.
As the name suggests, CCH Citrus specializes in sourcing and packing different citrus growing in California, and as far as the Arizona and Mexican borders.
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The company's location allows it have a longer growing season than many of its rivals.
“For citrus buyers, nothing makes the job easier than finding a reliable, consistent source you can trust. Corona-College Heights Orange & Lemon Association packs oranges, grapefruit, and lemons year round, and we are the only lemon packer south of Ventura to have lemons available all year. Our Valencia season is the longest in the business, starting around February 1st and continuing until November most years — a full 9 to 10 months,” it shared on its own website.
A look at Corona-College Heights Orange & Lemon Association's Chapter 7 bankruptcy
CCH reported in its bankruptcy filing that it has assets in the range of $1 million to $10 million and estimated liabilities that range between $10 million and $50 million. The company has between 200 and 999 creditors.
Assets will be sold to pay creditors and according to court documents, no funds will be available to unsecured creditors after any administrative expenses have been paid.
The filing was made in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California (Riverside Division).
A creditors’ meeting is scheduled for August 13, 2025, at 8 a.m. and will be held via Zoom.
The company did not explain what led to its bankruptcy. CCH's website actually brags about its financial stability.
“CCH has no debt and pays out pools faster than any packing house in the industry. We insure the majority of our Accounts Receivable and have a collection rate of over 99.9% of fruit sold. The following financial information from the Produce Reporter Co. Blue Book gives an indication of our solid financial footing,” it posted.
Related: Mexican restaurant chain faces Chapter 7 bankruptcy, liquidation
