Central Florida was still a sparsely populated
agricultural region when Sydney's brother Joshua
arrived six years later in May of 1884. Chase
& Company, which became Sunniland, was
founded shortly thereafter. Their lines of
business were insurance, fertilizers, and
growers' supplies. This focus met the needs of
their clients - the local citrus growers
community.
Two years later, Sunniland expanded its
business premise. The company bought orange
groves and successfully sold their crops. Their
operations proved to be very successful. Soon
other orange growers came to Chase and &
Company for help selling their citrus crops.
This was the beginning of the packing and
selling operations. The company grew, becoming
one of the largest organizations of its kind in
Central Florida. Sanford was credited with being
the largest orange shipping point in Florida.
Sunniland faced its first major crisis during
the freezes of December 1894 and February 1895.
The two great freezes almost destroyed the
Florida citrus industry. Annual citrus shipments
went from 5,000,000 boxes annually to less than
150,000.
The economic results of the freeze
affected Sunniland's revenue. Packing and
marketing business was virtually eliminated as
there was no citrus to sell and ship. Most
people were unable to pay their insurance
premiums.
Through perseverance, the strictest economy, and
business ingenuity, Sunniland survived. Because
of the economic climate in Central Florida,
Joshua Chase took a position in California with
the Earl Fruit Co., and later with the United
Fruit Co. in St. Louis. By 1904, the
citrus business had redeveloped. When Joshua
returned in 1904 to open a Chase & Company
office in Jacksonville, he had gained valuable
experience that benefitted the company.
William Randolph Harney became a partner
just before the turn of the century. He was
instrumental in developing much of the vegetable
business from the lower east coast. The combined
Citrus and vegetable markets helped the company
grow rapidly. In 1914, we were incorporated.
During this period, the vegetable,
fertilizer, and growers' supply business was
developing rapidly and profitably under the
direction of W.A. Leffler. Mr. Leffler joined
the Company in 1908.
In the late 1920's the vegetable operations on
the lower east coast were discontinued. Just
before 1930, most of the citrus business was
eliminated. Sunniland retained only the
few groves it owned and the packing house in
Sanford. The rapid population growth was
absorbing some of the fields and many of the
groves. The most notable of these became
Coral Gables.
Shortly after World War II, the insurance
business was sold to focus on fruit, vegetable,
and growers' supply business. For the next five
years, crops from the Chase groves were marketed
through the Florida Citrus Exchange.
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