Hess Bros. Fruit looking forward to a strong, solid and high-quality season
Hess Bros. Fruit looking forward to a strong, solid and high-quality season
Fred Hess, co-owner of Hess Bros. Fruit Co. in Lancaster, PA, told The Produce News that the company’s crop condition was in very good shape this year.
“It’s true that we’re about to enjoy a great upcoming season, but as growers we know better than to make predictions until the fruit is in the bins,” he said. “Still, we’ve had great growing weather and it looks like a premium crop. Volumes may be down a little in spots, but we feel that the quality will make up for some lost volume that would otherwise go to processesing.”
Hess Bros. was busy gearing up for harvesting to begin in early August.
“We’ll start harvesting Gala apples in Virginia the beginning of next week,” Hess said on Aug. 8. “Pennsylvania will begin around Labor Day, but we’ll likely be picking some around the last week of August. Ginger Gold harvesting will begin around August 15 in Pennsylvania.”
In January 2013, Hess told The Produce News that his brother, Jerry Hess, who was previously his partner in the business, had retired. In a company reorganization upon his retirement, Fred Hess took on three new partners who are all family members and all represent the next generation.
“Jerry’s son, Ryan Hess, another nephew, Andy Figart, and Jerry’s son-in-law, Zack King, have joined me in ownership and management of the company,” said Hess. “They have all worked for the firm for some time. This new generation is doing an outstanding job, and as we speak they’re all out working hard at their jobs.”
The reorganization and new partnership was made official in early December 2012. Ryan Hess is in charge of fruit procurement and grower relations. Figart oversees sales and marketing and King manages human resources and is the assistant plant manager.
Hess noted that volumes on Honeycrisp, Gala and Fuji apples are up and that Red Delicious volumes are stable. The McIntosh crop appears to be high-quality with good volumes. He pointed out that the variety’s ongoing popularity is proof that not everyone likes a hard apple.
Regarding the numerous managed apple varieties, Hess said that it can be a risky situation.
“Some will no doubt be very successful, but others will fall by the wayside,” he said. “It takes a very long time and a lot of hard work to bring a new apple to success.”
