George Perry Sr.

Agriculture

George Perry & Sons is a family agricultural business that was started over 70 years ago. It was founded by Perry’s father, Delphino, who was an immigrant from the Azores Islands. Delphino established a dairy and laid the foundation of what was to become one of Manteca's largest agricultural concerns.

Perry worked hard alongside his father. In 1965, Perry continued his efforts to find ways to expand the family business and began buying and selling watermelons from local growers in order to fulfill the increasing demands from customers.

Today, the fourth generation has joined the family business that Perry has helped build into the largest shipper of pumpkins in the United States, the largest shipper of watermelons in California, and one of the largest year-round supplier of melons and squash.

Perry was instrumental in establishing the Manteca Pumpkin Festival.

He has appeared in numerous newspapers, TV shows, and magazine articles promoting Manteca and pumpkins including being recognized in the Nov. 1, 1982 edition of "People" magazine as the "Pumpkin King."

He was recognized as the Manteca Chamber of Commerce’s Large Business of the Year in 1997.