T
hose individuals steeped in produce see the world from a different perspective. They inhabit their roles as a tradition of their lives. They are not unmoored by the long days and sometimes longer nights. They occupy the space like most do a home, where the evergreen orange groves become a refuge and a blessing. Its deep ties to the Earth provide peace, even among the chaos.
This beautiful way of living is not for everyone, but it is the way for Bill DeNatale.
As a Sales Account Representative for Kings River Packing and an industry veteran of nearly four decades, Bill has counted the years in harvests, industry transformations, and generational changes. With his retirement at the end of August 2024, Bill looked back with me to honor the present and the future of a company that has been a part of every board, joist, nail, and window of the home he built for himself over 39 years.
“Kings River Packing has been such an amazing place to work. The people have made it so,” Bills shares with me. “When I first started at Kings River, it was just me and Dave Hines in the sales office, Keith Gardner running the production side of things, and Doug Hazelton interacting with the growers. The team was small but the families always took great care of me. Even now, with the large amount of growth in the last couple of years, I am so thankful for the opportunities and the closeness we have all maintained.”
Before all this, there was a path that bobbed and weaved, putting experience after experience into Bill’s hands as he grew toward his path in fresh produce.
“I started at San Francisco State University and spent about three years as a part-time student. I changed my majors many times trying to figure out what I was most passionate about pursuing. While attending school, I worked at the San Francisco Produce Terminal as a porter,” Bill reveals.
An acquaintance from Bill’s days working on a family farm in Minnesota reached out, inviting him to meet in Fresno, California, where the friend was visiting his brother.
“During that trip, I met a young professor at California State University, Fresno, who gave me the opportunity to major in Agriculture—a field I had always enjoyed. While at Fresno State, I also became a member of AGR fraternity and continued to work at the San Francisco Market in the summers as a porter, delivering produce all around the city in 1973,” Bill detailed, bringing us closer to his undeniable passion for fresh produce.
After graduating, Bill was offered a position as a produce buyer at Grand Union due to his experience in the industry. Bill worked there for three years before he joined Wakefern as a buyer.
Wakefern provided a unique look at the produce industry from a buy-side perspective and further informed Bill’s deep understanding of fresh produce. During his three-year tenure with Wakefern, he opened its office in Fresno to bring a closer connection between the buying office and where the produce was being grown.
After Bill’s time at Wakefern, he got the itch to move closer to sales and went to work for United Packing—one of the first companies to receive a license for produce in California selling treefruit, table grapes, and cantaloupe until it was purchased by Christian Salvesen. Bill continued with the company after the purchase.
“The company’s commodity mix was slow during the winter, so I agreed to sell fruit for a small citrus house in Sanger, California: Kings River Packing,” Bill said.
“Even now, with the large amount of growth in the last couple of years, I am so thankful for the opportunities and the closeness we have all maintained.”
Bill DeNatale, Sales Account Representative, Kings River Packing
His smile told me that we were finally beginning the path that would fundamentally change the way he experienced fresh produce.
When Bill left Christian Salvesen he worked as an independent sales contractor at Warmerdam Packing during the treefruit season and then continued to work for Kings River Packing in the off-season selling citrus.
It was long days during this season of life for Bill. With the long hours, Bill said he was so thankful for his supportive and loving wife, Jodi.
“While I was away at work, Jodi was home taking care of the kids and household and even taking time to leave me dinner in the oven when I would get home long after she had gone to bed,” he reflected, taking a moment to honor this critical time in their lives.
Bill worked for Warmerdam for eight years before taking a position at Harry Aslan Company in Kingsburg. There, he kept the same arrangement, working its treefruit season and selling for Kings River in the offseason. Bill also spent time at Trinity Fruit Company during this period, bringing him ever closer to Kings River.
“Eventually, the citrus and treefruit seasons started to overlap as new varieties began extending seasons. I decided it was time to lean into one commodity, and opted to move strictly over to citrus, accepting a full-time sales position at Kings River Packing in 2006,” Bill detailed. The look on his face revealed to me this was the moment he knew he would finish his career at Kings River.
With Bill on board, the company continued to grow and is now one of the top five citrus suppliers in the United States.
Bill’s love of citrus didn’t stop in the selling office. Nor did Kings River’s deep appreciation for him. The company’s commitment and investment in Bill—not only as an employee but also as an individual—went far and wide to impact his life over the years. The company even helped support his goal of becoming a citrus grower by helping him through the purchase of his first property.
While Kings River enriched Bill’s life, he has also been equally giving to others, offering a voice for the growers in company sales meetings and providing valuable insights. Bill also had a way of deeply impacting those around him, encouraging and challenging them to find their greatness.
“When I started with Kings River 16 years ago with no experience in the produce industry, Bill took me under his wing and has been so kind, thoughtful, and caring to me all of these years. I enjoyed the business trips we have been able to go on throughout all these years. I always loved going to the trade shows with him and watching him talk with all of the buyers. Bill is one-of-a-kind, and we will miss him greatly!” Andrew Horn, Sales Operations Manager, shared.
Bill also drew others into the fold, simply by being who he was—a living and breathing source of inspiration for so many.
“I came to work at Kings River in a big part because of Bill DeNatale. I believe Bill was an intricate piece in God’s plan to bring my wife and me together,” Jesse Silva, Sales Manager, expressed. “We share many similarities and also some life experiences. I will miss Bill immensely; he has become a steady rock for our team and a huge anchor for integrity. Those are traits highly valued and sought out for in business and life. I’ve been fortunate enough to work beside him for almost 12 years now, and I have learned so much from him. Thank you, Bill, for the years of memories and unbelievable stories. You have made produce less work and more fun and shown us how to make that into a career. I hope you know how much you are loved, cherished, and valued in all our hearts. Thank you for all the great times!”
As Bill read these words from his team members, his humility and kindness radiated from him like light. I sensed some very important words surfacing from him as well.
“If I could offer some advice to my younger self or someone looking to dedicate their life to citrus, I would share that no matter the person’s position, treat everyone like the most important person in the room,” he shared. “You never know where they will be in the coming years. The store clerk could one day be your produce buyer and they will remember how you treated them when they didn’t have the position. The produce industry is a relationship business. That must come first.”
Now that Bill has entered retirement and adapted to a new blueprint of living, he plans to spend time with his family, exercise, go fishing, get some projects done around the house, travel, and spend time at the coast.
As his retirement becomes another evolution of his growth, he is excited to see his son, Dominic, carry on his legacy in the produce industry. Reminding him of himself at that age and looking forward to discussing the industry with him and hearing his perspective as he grows in his career.
If you ask Bill, it is a life that is full of good people and wonderful memories. 
