Our History
A Legacy Built on Trust & Innovation
In the mid-1940s, Jim Lawless, Carle Belt Jr., and Jack Atkinson founded Frosted Fruit Products (FFP), a pioneering company in the frozen fruit and vegetable industry. At that time, freezing produce was a new concept, with most fruits and vegetables sold fresh or canned. Carle Belt Jr., serving as the Sales Manager, traveled to military facilities to market these limited frozen products, introducing many to the benefits of frozen produce.
In December 1965, Frosted Fruit Products was acquired by Pet Milk Co., and Carle Belt Jr. played a key role in managing the transition until 1968. When asked to move to Saint Louis to continue working for Pet Milk, he declined and decided to forge his own path. This led to the creation of C.H. Belt & Associates™, a family business in Southern California focused on marketing frozen fruit and vegetable products. Under Carle Jr.‘s leadership, the company introduced the C.H. Belt’s World’s Finest™ and C.H. Belt’s Ready Fix™ brands, which became well-known in the food service and industrial ingredient markets.
When Carle H. Belt Jr. retired in 1984, his son, Carle III, and son-in-law, Bob Eggert, took over the business. Bob had joined the company in 1973, and under their leadership, the office was moved to Irvine, California, near John Wayne Airport. The family business continued to thrive, maintaining its commitment to providing high-quality frozen fruit and vegetable products.
Marketing Specialists, a subsidiary of Mary Kay Cosmetics, purchased C.H. Belt and Associates, Inc. brokerage house and all the brokered lines being represented in Southern California.
In 2001, Marketing Specialists went into bankruptcy and C.H. Belt and Associates, Inc was acquired by Woodland Partners based out of Walpole, MA in 2002.
In 2005, Woodland Partners looking to divest their portfolio optioned for the family to purchase back the business. On January 1st, 2006, The family purchased back the family name and business. The legacy of C.H. Belt lives on through the second and now third generation. Carle Jr.’s daughter, Judy (Belt) Eggert, along with Bob Eggert and their children, Kevin Eggert and Sharon (Eggert) Sumlin, continue to manage the company.
In 2017, we rebranded our company as SunLeaf Foods, reflecting our continued commitment to Carle's original vision of delivering high-quality frozen fruits and vegetables. This name change was strategically made to strengthen our presence in both the Food Service and Industrial sectors, ensuring our brand is recognized for its excellence within the industry.
