Fruit purveyor Cushman’s sells its delicious products through a combination of catalogs, space ads and other channels

By Alicia Orr and Editor In Chief

Cushman adds that the company is developing proprietary fruit products of its own. “We plan to trademark a citrus fruit from Jamaica. It’s a 75-year-old fruit that would be available (for shipment) in March.”

The trademarking issue brings up what Cushman calls “one of the most painful things I’ve ever had to deal with in my business career.” Although Cushman’s was the first to market with the HoneyBell, it missed the opportunity to trademark the fruit and name. “It never occurred to us until 1980 to trademark the HoneyBell, and by then it was too late—the product was already in wide use.” In print, the company refers to the fruit as Cushman’s HoneyBells®. Still, company officials didn’t let that deter them. They went on to make its U.S.P. (unique selling proposition) “limited edition fruit.”