This year marks the first time that Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, has promoted its new KIKU club apple in New York City. John Rice, company president, explained it is the first year it produced volumes ample enough to support the huge New York market.

“We were very pleased with how the KIKU was received in the state, and Hunts Point turned into a very good market for us,” said Rice. “I believe one of the reasons is that two very large ethnic groups in the region — Korean green grocers and Chinese merchants — buy a large proportion of fresh fruit at the Hunts Point Terminal Market.”

These groups, he noted, are particularly quality conscious when it comes to produce. They often buy the most expensive product if they believe it is superior.

“They also generally prefer large, very sweet fruit,” added Rice. “Since KIKUs are by nature large apples, and perhaps the sweetest apple in the market, it quickly became a success.”

This year also marks the first time Rice Fruit introduced more display materials and pedestals, which are increasingly being used because they enable produce departments to expand their shelf space.

Rice noted the company also introduced apples in new style super-graphic pouches with slide closures.

“These are just beginning to catch on in the apple industry, as they have in the cherry and grape industries,” explained Rice. “We want our customers to know that we have the capability to provide the newest packages.”

Last summer Rice Fruit completed a new building that houses 10 controlled atmosphere rooms, each having a capacity to store 35,000 boxes. Combined with its preexisting CA rooms, the company now has 41; enough to pack 12.5 million boxes.

Rice announced a significant personnel change about nine months ago.

“Our director of sales, Keith Thomas, retired after working for us for 30 years,” he said. “Keith was replaced by a new sales associate, Maggie Reid Travis, who has extensive experience as a direct fruit marketer, packing house manager and organic fruit grower.

“Our winter and spring apple movement this season has been outstanding,” Rice continued. “All our major varieties have been moving well, including Galas, Fujis, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious and KIKUs. I have no concerns that the market is going to weaken before the new crop is harvested.”

Rice Fruit Co., he pointed out, is a leader in peach and apple food safety. Its packing facilities have been certified by SQF at the highest compliance level.

“Our apple grower-partner farms have been certified by Primus Labs,” said Rice. “Lee Showalter is our full time director of food safety. We are proud to announce that he was named Apple Man of the Year in 2015 because of his involvement with food safety groups around the country.”

The company is also fully compliant with the requirements of PTI and it has a dependable traceability program in place.

“In fact, we recently conducted a successful mock recall, and we’re bringing consultants in next month to conduct a recall ready workshop for our staff with appropriate simulations,” said Rice.

He also gave a shout-out to the leadership of the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program. Through it, Rice Fruit has developed a sales program and sales materials that emphasize that its apples are locally grown. Most of its boxes are printed with the logo Eat Fresh; Buy Local.