Washington Fruit Growers expands pear market
Mount Adams Fruit entered into a deal to acquire the majority of the Oregon pear assets formerly owned by Stadelman Fruit Co. LLC, based in Zillah, WA, from the S.S. Steiner Co. As a part of the transaction, Mount Adams Fruit also expects to employ all of the employees in this division, as well.
The acquisition adds pear orchards, packing and storage operations, and a new receiving location for Mount Adams Fruit in the Hood River Valley of Oregon. Washington Fruit Growers, a sales partnership with Washington Fruit, Mount Adams Fruit and Roche Fruit, is excited about the opportunities that this expansion provides — the addition of facilities, storage and additional high-quality pears will help Washington Fruit Growers better serve customers.
“We are excited to expand our operations, bringing Stadelman’s experienced people and quality product under Mount Adams Fruit,” said Don Gibson, CEO of Mount Adams Fruit. “The combination of our two companies expands Mount Adams Fruit operations to Hood River, OR, providing closer proximity to growers and operational efficiencies that will improve fruit quality. The additional fruit will enhance the surety of supply for our customers throughout the season while fortifying our operations with more orchards, facilities and top talent from Stadelman’s operations.”
“The additional pears from the Hood River Valley and enhancements that the new receiving location in Odel provides fits in perfectly with our focus on delivering high-quality products to our customers,” said Tommy Hanses, CEO of Washington Fruit Growers. “The area is known to have some of the best pears in the world and that’s exactly what our customers are expecting.”
The new volume will start with this year’s harvest in August. As part of the acquisition, Mount Adams Fruit will take ownership of all packing, storage and orchard facilities in Hood River, OR, along with ample room for expansion in fruit growing capacity. Additionally, the new receiving station, high-quality fruit storage and packing operations in Odell, OR, will enable even better harvest management for Mount Adams Fruit.
