09. Sugar Beets

The sugar beet industry first began in Chandler during the 1930s and centered around raising seeds. The industry was revived in 1967 when the Spreckels Sugar Company opened on the northwest corner of McQueen and Riggs Roads. Their $20 million plant processed sugar beets into liquid sugar, primarily used in soft drinks and confections. Spreckels also produced a small amount of granular sugar for the local market. The plant closed in 1984 after the price of sugar beets hit rock bottom, the same year soft drink manufacturers switched to using high fructose corn syrup in their products. After the plant was demolished in 1999, the City of Chandler opened the Bear Creek Golf Course on the site.