Meyer Honored With Pillar of the Industry Award

Robert Meyer, whose company grew from a King City tomato operation into a major Mexico-linked supplier, receives the 2026 honor from the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Organic Food

Rows of red tomato vines on wire trellises stretch across a flat irrigated field toward distant hills in soft morning light. — Fresh Produce Association of the Americas named Robert Meyer its 2026 Pillar of the Industry, recognizing a King City tomato company that expanded into Mexico. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Fresh Produce Association of the Americas recognized Robert Meyer with its 2026 Pillar of the Industry Award. Meyer Tomato Company, which he and his father founded in King City, California in 1955, has grown substantially through operations in Mexico.

Why it matters

The honor recognizes leadership in the produce industry and highlights how California-founded agricultural businesses have expanded into Mexican growing regions. For California readers, it underscores the state's ongoing role in the national fresh produce supply chain.

The Pillar of the Industry Award is conferred by the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas for 2026. Meyer Tomato Company's 2009 sales and marketing partnership added millions of cases to its distribution network, though the source gives no total volume figures.

The players

Robert Meyer

Robert Meyer is a produce industry executive who guided Meyer Tomato Company's growth from a California operation into Mexican growing regions.

Fresh Produce Association of the Americas

The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas is an industry trade organization that represents fresh produce companies across North and South America.

Leo Meyer

Leo Meyer co-founded Meyer Tomato Company with his son Robert in King City, California in 1955.

The details

Meyer and his father, Leo Meyer, established Meyer Tomato Company in King City in 1955. By the late 1990s, operations had increasingly shifted toward Mexico, and the company became a major supplier of tomatoes and winter vegetables grown there.

1955: Meyer Tomato Company is established in King City, California.
Late 1990s: Company operations increasingly shift toward Mexico.
2009: Expanded distribution of Mexican-grown produce through a sales and marketing partnership.
2026: Robert Meyer receives the Pillar of the Industry Award.

Industry Landscape

Meyer Tomato Company's shift toward Mexico from the late 1990s reflects a broader pattern among California-founded produce companies seeking expanded growing capacity south of the border. The 2009 distribution partnership extended that model by pairing Mexican-grown supply with established sales networks.

For California shoppers, the expansion of Mexican-grown tomatoes and winter vegetables through established distribution networks affects the variety and availability of produce in stores. The story does not indicate any change in retail pricing or product labeling.

The takeaway

Long-standing California agricultural businesses continue to adapt by expanding into Mexican growing regions and building distribution partnerships. Readers following produce supply chains can track how these cross-border arrangements shape what appears on store shelves.