Hess Bros. expands regional program with a Wild Twist

Hess Bros. is excited for the upcoming Eastern Apple season and has a few unique turns to play. “The biggest excitement at Hess Brothers continues to be the growth of our WildTwist program,” said Chris Sandwick, director of marketing for Hess Bros., based in Lancaster, PA. “WildTwist is a cross between Honeycrisp and Cripps Pink.  It is a late-harvest apple whose eating quality improves in storage.”

WildTwist is widely available on the East Coast, with distribution increasing in the Midwest and South and its sales program runs from January to June. “We are energized by the consumer response to WildTwist,” said Andy Figart, Hess Bros. president. “We’ve been eating this apple for ten years and it’s thrilling to finally have the volume to send it all over the country.” 

Coming off a very successful season, which saw across-the-board sales increases, Hess Bros. expects to nearly double available volume of WildTwist this year explained Sandwick. “This news has our loyal customer base very excited,” he said. “WildTwist has already proven to be a top performer for first and second quarter sales, and gives retailers the opportunity to promote a truly premium apple in a time when the category lacks a little ‘wow’ factor.”

WildTwist is just the latest example of high-flavor apples the company is promoting. “We are seeing tremendous growth in the high-flavor category,” said Mattie Leid, senior account manager. “Our efforts to educate and promote great tasting varieties that were recently unknown, such as SnapDragon and WildTwist, are really paying off.  Consumers are finding new apples to love — and coming back for more.”

Even though these new varieties are gaining traction, Hess Bros. continues to invest in its growth by offering in-store consumer educational materials and by complimenting store promotions with significant digital messaging support. “While growth of our high-flavor apples has been tremendous, we know that there are still many people out there who don’t know what a WildTwist apple is,” said Sandwick. “We want to find them and invite them to try this amazing apple.”   

Hess Bros. works with growers in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York. “This allows us to diversify our crop, mitigate crop loss due to weather-related issues, and, through state-of-the art storage facilities, make great tasting, fresh Eastern apples available all year,” said Sandwick. “We know Eastern apples taste great. But, in addition to flavor, our customers are also looking for confidence of supply.” 

The diversity of Hess Bros. growers gives the company a reliable source of apples and extends the seasons. “Since our grower-partners are located throughout the East Coast, it allows us to mitigate the risk inherent in working with an outdoor crop,” said Sandwick. “Fruit from our partners in warmer regions allows our customers to begin the new crop in early August. And the end of our season is extended by the great work of our Grower Services team, as they work to optimize harvest and storage protocols.”