Rice Fruit Co. promoting proprietary ‘KIKU’ apple at SEPC Southern Exposure
Rice Fruit Co. promoting proprietary ‘KIKU’ apple at SEPC Southern Exposure
Colleagues at Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA, Brenda Briggs, vice president of marketing, and Valerie Ramsburg, sales and marketing representative, will be greeting visitors at Booth No. 308 at the 2015 Southern Exposure Conference & Expo being held at the Caribe Royale All Suite Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, FL, on Feb. 26-28.
“We will be featuring our proprietary ‘KIKU’ brand apples at the show along with other Eastern apple varieties,” said Briggs. “We have been members of the Southeast Produce Council for four years, and this will be our second year exhibiting.
“Valerie and I look forward to our inaugural participation and the opportunity to visit with current and future customers,” she continued. “We also look forward to further promoting ‘KIKU’ apples. The show provides us with an opportunity to re-connect with industry friends from across the country.”
Valerie Ramsburg, sales and marketing representative, and Brenda Briggs, vice president of marketing, for Rice Fruit Co. proudly displaying the ‘KIKU’ variety proprietary apple.
Rice Fruit is one of only three companies in the United States that is licensed to produce and sell the “KIKU,” and the only one permitted to sell it in the Eastern U.S.
John Rice, company president, recently told The Produce News that consumer reaction to the apple is great, adding, “And that’s going to increase as more become available. Production is increasing every year. Last year our supplies lasted to the end of January, but this year we have enough volume to last through late February.”
The “KIKU” represents only about five percent of Rice Fruit’s production, but that figure is expected to grow in coming years.
Briggs said that she and Ramsburg plan to attend the gala party and the luncheon at Southern Exposure.
“Both events bring opportunities to mingle with customers and industry peers,” she said.
She also explained that due to Rice Fruit Co.’s steady and continual growth, the company is exploring plans for additional state-of-the-art controlled atmosphere storage space in the not too distant future.
Rice Fruit Co.’s is on target for moving its crop — the largest in its history. Last year it moved a little over 1.9 million bushels, and this year it projects to move over 2.2 million. Briggs noted that the apple crop nationwide is large.
“Despite the large crop of apples across the country, movement has been steady and strong,” she said. “We expect to have apples into the summer months.”
