CLEWISTON — U.S. Sugar and city of Clewiston are pleased to announce the fourth consecutive J. Nelson Fairbanks U.S. Sugar Annual Golf Tournament will be on Saturday, April 29, at the Clewiston Golf Course. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., opening ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m., with a shot-gun tournament start scheduled for 9 a.m.
Sponsored by U.S. Sugar and the city of Clewiston, this community golf tournament is held in honor of J. Nelson Fairbanks for his longtime support of sports and recreational activities in the Clewiston community, particularly those benefiting youth, baseball and golf. Proceeds of the annual golf tournament will benefit The First Tee Foundation of Clewiston and the Clewiston Golf Course.
J. Nelson Fairbanks served as president and chief executive officer of U.S. Sugar from 1987 to 2000. His 13-year tenure as chief executive saw the transition to 100 percent mechanical sugarcane harvest and the move from raw to refined sugar with the construction of the Clewiston Refinery. The Refinery opened in 1998 as the nation’s newest and only fully integrated cane sugar refinery. U.S. Sugar’s refined sugar was marketed through United Sugars, creating the first nationwide sugar marketing firm. Under Fairbanks, U.S. Sugar also planted citrus groves, built the nation’s newest and most efficient citrus processing plant and purchased the South Central Florida Express Railroad. Mr. Fairbanks, his executive team and U.S. Sugar employees, retirees, growers and community members led sugar industry efforts to defeat a statewide penny-a-pound sugar tax referendum.
Mr. Fairbanks has always been well known for his love of golf, baseball and his pride in the Clewiston community, where he lived for more than 40 years and where he raised his family. Fairbanks now resides in Windermere with his beloved wife, Anita. He keeps busy in retirement with his children Jay (Olga) and Vanessa (John Hodak) and four grandchildren: Preston J. Nelson (13) and Lilly (12) Fairbanks; and Hanna (13) and Dylan (12) Hodak.
U.S. Sugar is a Florida farming company and a market leader involved in sustainable growing and processing of sugarcane, citrus and sweet corn. Southern Gardens Citrus and South Central Florida Express railroad are part of the U.S. Sugar family and complement sugarcane operations. A focus on hard work, integrity, high quality and continuous improvement makes us one of America’s premier, privately held agribusinesses with the largest farming operations east of the Mississippi.
With state-of-the-art technology for both sugar manufacturing and citrus processing, U.S. Sugar practices the most efficient and progressive farming techniques available in the world. Vertical integration of its farming, processing and packaging operations makes U.S. Sugar competitive while meeting the highest standards for worker safety, food quality and environmental protection. Headquartered in Clewiston, the company farms more than 245,000 acres in Hendry, Glades, Palm Beach and Martin counties and operates a state-of-the-art citrus nursery in Gilchrist County. U.S. Sugar has approximately 2,500 employees at the height of harvest season.
