Moonlight Sales Executive Ben Clay celebrates 30 years of leadership and growth

Moonlight Companies is recognizing Ben Clay, a founding member of its sales team, as he marks 30 years with the company.

During that time, the California stone fruit industry transformed from a market of over 200 shippers into a category dominated by a small number of scaled operators, with the company emerging as the leading supplier.

Clay joined Moonlight in its early days, working alongside founder Russ Tavlan when the company was among the smallest players in a crowded California market. Over the past three decades, he has remained constant through the company’s growth, helping support retail programs and customer relationships across multiple seasons and market cycles.

“When I started, there were hundreds of stone fruit shippers in California,” said Clay. “What’s allowed the company to grow is delivering consistency to our retail partners—and that takes a team. From the field to the packinghouse to sales, everyone has a role in delivering for the customer.”

Three decades of Moonlight experience 

Known internally as a steady, service-first operator, Clay is deeply engaged throughout the season, remaining involved to help ensure the company's programs run smoothly. His experience across decades of varying crop conditions has also made him a key resource for younger members of the team, offering perspective on how each season develops and where challenges may arise.

“One of the reasons I’ve stayed with Moonlight for 30 years is the pride of being part of a company that’s continued to grow in an industry that has seen so much attrition,” said Clay. “That begins in the field, where we focus on harvesting at a uniform maturity, and following one standard across our growing regions."

At the firm, he said that's known as “One Grower, One Standard,” and the maxim carries through the packinghouse, resulting in a reliable, premium-grade pack.

"When you can deliver that level of uniformity across multiple regions and throughout the season, customers know what they’re going to get week after week,” he added. 

This model has also enabled the company to deliver across its multi-region “7 Months of Summer” growing window, providing customers with continuity from early-season districts through late-season supply. Maintaining that level of dependability at scale remains a defining characteristic of the company’s program.

Today, that same approach continues across Moonlight’s broader organization, supported by a deep and experienced sales team working in coordination with farming and packing operations.

As Moonlight looks ahead, Clay’s 30-year milestone reflects more than individual longevity. It highlights the operational continuity, institutional knowledge, and long-term customer relationships that have helped define the company’s growth across three decades of change in the California stone fruit industry.

*All images courtesy of Moonlight. 

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