“We will once again have two separate packing locations: one in Yakima, and one in Chelan,” Komstadius said. “Our teams have heavily invested in their packingline equipment to ensure only the highest-quality product is shipped to our retail and wholesale partners. Our lines are equipped with optical sorting which facilitates the elimination of both internal and external defects of the fruit.”
Since 2000, the company has grown at twice the annual rate as the industry as a whole, thanks to each of its vertically integrated warehouses continuously adding acreage to their well-established farms.
“Cherries have a unique seasonality, making them ideal for retail promotions during the summer months,” Komstadius said. “However, we’ve found that quality and freshness are key components to a successful cherry season. Cherries should be fresh, firm and free from defects. We can ensure their quality through efficient handling during the process of harvesting, packing and shipping.”
Last season, Sage Fruit’s cherry growers experienced a tough season and though the quality and volume of fruit were there, consumer demand stalled.
“During the U.S. season, what we’re seeing is an overlap in various growing regions creating an adverse supply and demand situation for cherry growers,” Komstadius said. “The supply becomes greater than the demand during the summer months. It’s our goal as a sales and marketing team to find ways to drive an increase in consumption that is beneficial to both the growers and consumers.”
For 2024, the Pacific Northwest experienced a relatively mild winter, and nice spring weather, which led to a good bloom on the cherry trees.
“We hit full bloom in our earliest districts in late March, which will put harvest much earlier than last season — we’re tracking a full two weeks ahead of the 2023 crop,” Komstadius said. “Weather in the PNW has been ideal for cherry growing and we expect high-quality, flavorful crop this season.”
In addition, the company is also seeing good separation between districts, which will allow for late-season cherries. Current industry estimates put the northwest harvest in at 18-20 million boxes this season.
Sage Fruit Co. supplies fruit to retailers worldwide, including some of the world’s healthiest foods from one of the world’s most fertile growing regions.
“Consistent supply and quality highlight how Sage Fruit stands apart from our competitors,” Komstadius said. “We also believe our outstanding customer service to be the backbone of our organization. Our sales and marketing teams specialize in building unique and customized, season-long programs to meet our customers’ needs and drive sales in their produce department.”
The beginning of 2024 brought with it several changes within the Sage Fruit organization.
As of January 1, Kevin Steiner was promoted to the role of president of business development and marketing, while Nicole Gordy assumed the role of CEO on January 15.
Steiner has worked at the company for the last 19 years, while Gordy has been with Safe Fruit since 2013, serving as the executive assistant to the CEO for six years and the director of business analytics for four years.
“In addition to Nicole and Kevin’s new roles, since last cherry season, we have added several new members to our team including, Cindy Alarcon (sales manager-pears), Stephanie Herron (sales representative), Rich Mendonsa (VP of business development).
