New York Apple Sales thrilled to be back at Southern Exposure

Yes! Apples, a consumer-first brand started by New York Apple Sales three years ago, has become a popular name in the industry and it continues to expand business year after year.

“We continue to build awareness for our Yes! Apples brand and are always excited when we can introduce retailers and consumers to the great-tasting apples grown across New York state,” said Kaari Stannard, president and CEO of the Glenmont, NY-based company. “Because we now offer our apples via our online shop, consumers all over can experience the aroma when they open a box of Yes! Apples.”

This e-commerce effort is a new way to introduce consumers to apple varieties that they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to try. In this way, Yes! Apples continues to follow its mission of getting apples into the hands of consumers across the country to drive awareness and demand.

The company is excited to be attending and exhibiting at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure expo.

“We are a Gold Level Sponsor and have supported this show from the very beginning,” Stannard said. “We view events such as Southern Exposure as an important way to build brand awareness for Yes! Apples. We believe that an omnichannel marketing and branding approach works best to get the word out about our company. Southern Exposure is an ideal opportunity for us to connect with buyers and our colleagues in the industry. In addition, this well-attended show provides a chance to network with retail partners from all over the country.”

Yes! Apples will be operating behind booth No. 947 in the Gold Level section in the Atlantic Hall and will be offering samples of New York exclusives SnapDragon and RubyFrost, along with 2-ounce bags of sliced Evercrisp. Additionally, it will offer its Yes! Apples varieties, showcasing crispy, juicy Honeycrisp apples.

“We’re always excited to share about the 20-plus classic, specialty and New York-exclusive varietals that we offer,” Stannard said. “Fan favorites like Honeycrisp and Fuji paired with newcomers like KORU and SnapDragon; we offer our retail partners and consumers apples that hit all taste profiles.”

In the wake and midst of continuous COVID-19 challenges, Yes Apples! expects there will be talk of the supply chain, transportation and inflation throughout the expo, as those are issues impacting everyone in the industry.

“At Yes! Apples, we are committed to providing solutions whatever the challenge may be and maintain our diligence in being a reliable partner to all of our retailers,” Stannard said.

John Cushing and Michael Harwood are attending and exhibiting from the company, and everyone is excited that the show is back to being live.

“In-person connection is so important in this industry,” Stannard said. “While we do our best to stay in touch via other means, there is really nothing like seeing your colleagues in person. We’re looking forward to that. We have exhibited at this show from the very beginning and have watched it grow into what is possibly the best event in our industry.”

In the year ahead, the company plans to continue to get the word out about all the ways consumers can experience Yes! Apples, both via its retail partners and online shop.

Elsewhere around the company, Yes! Apples recently introduced new, fully recyclable cardboard packaging supporting 1 percent for the planet as part of its Costco partnership.

“We’ve started the year off by reducing the amount of plastic required to make the bags we use for our retail partners,” Stannard said. “We also use paper totes for some retail locations, further reducing our reliance on plastic packaging.”

The company sources packaging materials from manufacturers that have adopted sustainable practices and are a member of How2Recycle, a standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions to the public.

Sustainability is very important to all at Yes! Apples.

“We’ve invested in upgraded, efficient packing facilities and energy-saving equipment,” Stannard said. “We’ve worked to improve labor efficiencies in orchards to reduce the impact to the soil. We minimize the use of pesticides by replanting with dwarfing trees at closer planting density. And we’ve enhanced the use of corrugated packaging with recycled content and streamlined shipping logistics to reduce fuel consumption.”

Additionally, all of the company’s growers and packing facilities receive third-party food safety audits managed by the Global Food Safety Initiative.

“We continuously review and update our food safety practices by investing in new technologies, equipment, staff training and facility enhancements,” Stannard said. “And we provide traceability back to individual packing sheds to ensure transparency. We have full-time, experienced food safety and quality assurance coordinators on staff and in our facilities. No GMO apples are grown in any of our growers’ orchards.”