Spreckels Sugar Company

Imperial Holly Corporation was the result of Imperial Sugar's 1988 buyout of the [[Holly Sugar Corporation]],{{Cite news| page = III 15| author = ((Reuters))| title = Holly accepts takeover bid from Imperial Sugar| work = Los Angeles Times| date = 1987-12-25| url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-holly-accepts-take/173475025/}} and following the 1996 merger, Spreckels Sugar was merged into the Holly Sugar Corporation subsidiary, but did business as Spreckels Sugar in California while using the Holly Sugar name in Wyoming and other mountain states. At the time of the merger in 1996, there were three active Spreckels Sugar factories in operation, and three additional California factories acquired from Holly Sugar. The Manteca and Hamilton City plants were closed soon after the merger and the Tracy and Brawley factories were rebranded as Spreckels Sugar operations. Imperial Holly would downsize the division over the next decade, closing the Woodland and Tracy plants in 2000 and selling the remaining Holly Sugar refineries in other states as well.

Imperial Holly Corporation was the result of Imperial Sugar's 1988 buyout of the [[Holly Sugar Corporation]],{{Cite news| page = III 15| author = ((Reuters))| title = Holly accepts takeover bid from Imperial Sugar| work = Los Angeles Times| date = 1987-12-25| url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-holly-accepts-take/173475025/}} and following the 1996 merger, Spreckels Sugar was merged into the Holly Sugar Corporation subsidiary, but did business as Spreckels Sugar in California while using the Holly Sugar name in Wyoming and other mountain states. At the time of the merger in 1996, there were three active Spreckels Sugar factories in operation, and three additional California factories acquired from Holly Sugar. The Manteca and Hamilton City plants were closed soon after the merger and the Tracy and Brawley factories were rebranded as Spreckels Sugar operations. Imperial Holly would downsize the division over the next decade, closing the Woodland and Tracy plants in 2000 and selling the remaining Holly Sugar refineries in other states as well.

In 2001, Imperial filed for bankruptcy and they would sell its Holly Sugar Corporation subsidiary to [[Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative]] (SMBSC) of [[Renville, Minnesota]],{{Cite news| page = A3| title = Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Co-op set to acquire corporation| work = West Central Tribune| location = Willmar, MN| date = 2005-08-18| url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/west-central-tribune-southern-minnesota/173471638/}}{{Cite web| title = USA: Imperial Sugar completes sale of Holly| work = Just-food.com| date = 2005-09-21| url = https://www.just-food.com/news/usa-imperial-sugar-completes-sale-of-holly/}} but retained the rights to the Holly Sugar brand name{{Cite web| title = Holly Sugar| date = 2023-12-22| url = https://www.hollysugar.com/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231222012225/https://www.hollysugar.com/| archive-date = 2023-12-22| url-status = dead}} while selling the rights to the Spreckels Sugar brand to SMBSC. SMBSC then relaunched Spreckels Sugar Company as a wholly owned subsidiary. The company closed its factory in Mendota in 2008 and its distribution facility in Tracy in 2009,{{Cite news |last=Matthews |first=Sam |date=2017-10-06 |title=Tracy’s sugar era launched careers, families |url=https://www.ttownmedia.com/tracy_press/our_town/tracy-s-sugar-era-launched-careers-families/article_dff1104a-aa27-11e7-ace9-370b87507770.html |access-date=2025-06-01 |work=Tracy Press |location=Tracy, CA}} leaving the Brawley refinery as its sole remaining operation, which was the last remaining sugar beet factory in California. This location also served as the headquarters of the company. Prior to its closure, the company operated exclusively a sugar wholesaler and sold refined sugar in bulk to the food and beverage industry, with a secondary business in [[beet molasses]] and [[beet pulp]] that was sold for [[commercial yeast]] manufacture and for [[animal feed]].{{Cite web |title=Home page |publisher=Spreckels Sugar |access-date=2025-03-02 |date=2012 |url=https://www.spreckelssugar.com/default.aspx}}{{Cite web |title=About us |publisher=Spreckels Sugar |access-date=2025-03-02 |date=2012 |url=https://www.spreckelssugar.com/about.aspx}}

In 2001, Imperial filed for bankruptcy and they would sell its Holly Sugar Corporation subsidiary to [[Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative]] (SMBSC) of [[Renville, Minnesota]],{{Cite news| page = A3| title = Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Co-op set to acquire corporation| work = West Central Tribune| location = Willmar, MN| date = 2005-08-18| url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/west-central-tribune-southern-minnesota/173471638/}}{{Cite web| title = USA: Imperial Sugar completes sale of Holly| work = Just-food.com| date = 2005-09-21| url = https://www.just-food.com/news/usa-imperial-sugar-completes-sale-of-holly/}} but retained the rights to the Holly Sugar brand name{{Cite web| title = Holly Sugar| date = 2023-12-22| url = https://www.hollysugar.com/| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231222012225/https://www.hollysugar.com/| archive-date = 2023-12-22| url-status = dead}} while selling the rights to the Spreckels Sugar brand to SMBSC. SMBSC then relaunched Spreckels Sugar Company as a wholly owned subsidiary. The company closed its factory in Mendota in 2008 and its distribution facility in Tracy in 2009,{{Cite news |last=Matthews |first=Sam |date=2017-10-06 |title=Tracy’s sugar era launched careers, families |url=https://www.ttownmedia.com/tracy_press/our_town/tracy-s-sugar-era-launched-careers-families/article_dff1104a-aa27-11e7-ace9-370b87507770.html |access-date=2025-06-01 |work=Tracy Press |location=Tracy, CA}} leaving the Brawley refinery as its sole remaining operation, which was the last remaining sugar beet factory in California. This location also served as the headquarters of the company. Prior to its closure, the company operated exclusively a sugar wholesaler and sold refined sugar in bulk to the food and beverage industry, with a secondary business in [[beet molasses]] and [[beet pulp]] that was sold for [[commercial yeast]] manufacture and for [[animal feed]].{{Cite web |title=Home page |publisher=Spreckels Sugar |access-date=2025-03-02 |date=2012 |url=https://www.spreckelssugar.com/default.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251215103819/https://www.spreckelssugar.com/default.aspx|archive-date=2025-12-15|url-status=dead|via=[[Wayback Machine]]}}{{Cite web |title=About us |publisher=Spreckels Sugar |access-date=2025-03-02 |date=2012 |url=https://www.spreckelssugar.com/about.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251007054339/https://www.spreckelssugar.com/about.aspx|archive-date=2025-10-07|url-status=dead|via=Wayback Machine}}

=== Closure ===

=== Closure ===