Wonderful Pistachios founder Stewart Resnick denies trying to crush Fresno growers’ plans
Billionaire businessman Stewart Resnick, testifying in a civil lawsuit against his company Wonderful Pistachios and Almonds, denied trying to crush plans by his rivals, the Assemi Brothers, to build a competing processing plant.
The 86-year-old Resnick, the world’s largest grower of tree nuts, testified Wednesday in Fresno County Superior Court that he was disappointed the Assemi Brothers were no longer going to be supplying Wonderful with their pistachios and even advised them against going out on their own.
“I bent over backwards working with them,” testified Resnick, who lives in Beverly Hills.
Attorney James Bennett, who represents the Assemi Brothers, reminded Resnick that he was more than disappointed. He showed Resnick a transcript of his deposition in March when he said he took it personal and took it hard.
In their breach of contract lawsuit, the Assemi Brothers allege Resnick retaliated against them by threatening to withhold full payment for the 2018 crop they delivered to Wonderful.
As a major processor, Wonderful sources pistachios from more than 900 growers, including at one time the Assemi Brothers Company owned by Farid, Farshid and Darius of Fresno.
Stewart Resnick testifies in breach of contract lawsuit
Resnick said Wednesday that the Assemi Brothers were paid what they were owed.
But he also believes they were wrong for violating a “handshake deal” he had with Farid Assemi that guaranteed Wonderful the Assemi Brothers pistachios from 2020 to 2029. As part of the deal, Resnick would also sell the Assemis nut trees at a bargain price.
Bennett asked Resnick multiple times if that deal was ever documented anytime during the years, 2015 through 2019. Each time Resnick replied no.
At one point, a frustrated Resnick snapped back, “I said there was no documentation.”
Farid Assemi, testifying on Tuesday, said Wonderful officials told him they would not receive their full payment, including a bonus, because they were no longer delivering their nuts to the company the following year.
Assemi testified that he had never heard of that policy.
Was growers meeting comment referencing Assemis?
Bennett also brought up a March 15, 2015, growers meeting in Visalia where Resnick is alleged to have used an expletive in referring to any potential upstarts in the pistachio industry.
Bennett asked Resnick if he was specifically referring to the Assemi Brothers when he used the expletive.
Resnick said it was a joke and not to be taken seriously. And he added he isn’t afraid to criticize someone.
“I am not bashful about saying what I think,” Resnick said.
The business tycoon wasn’t at all shy about accusing Kevin Assemi, Farid’s son, of encouraging his father to break away from Wonderful.
Calling Kevin a “cocky little kid,” Resnick described him as being naive about how to succeed in the pistachio industry.
Kevin Assemi is the former chief executive officer of Maricopa Orchards, an Assemi Brothers company.
Although plans for a pistachio processing plant in Fresno County are on hold, the Assemis operate a processing plant in the Tulare County community of Terra Bella that produces nut products under the Touchstone Pistachio label.
The trial continues in Dept. 503 in the B.F. Sisk Courthouse.
This story was originally published October 19, 2023 at 7:45 AM.
