Vanguard International buys Pride Packing

Issaquah, Wash.-based fruit grower, packer and marketer Vanguard International Group has purchased Wapato, Wash.-based fruit grower-shipper Pride Packing Co.

The purchase is part of a strategy to develop a global vertically-integrated fresh fruit organization, able to supply fresh produce year-round, according to a Vanguard International news release.

“We are thrilled to welcome Pride to Vanguard and to continue our working relationship with this industry leader,” Craig Stauffer, Vanguard’s CEO, said in a news release. “We are proud to be associated with the Spada family, United Salad Co., and Pride, and we look forward to increasing our footprint in Washington to enhance our ability to supply our customers around the world.”

Founded in 1972 by Ernest Spada Sr., Pride Packing Co. was one of the first companies to adopt the Two-Leader growing and pruning technique, developed by the University of California-Davis — a process that lets more sunlight onto the fruit to increase sugar content.

Spada will stay on as Pride’s chairman emeritus, and Brett Calhoun will continue as general manager and vice president of farming operations.

“We are dedicated to ensuring a smooth transition and seamless integration of all entities as we enter this exciting partnership between Pride and Vanguard,” Spada said in the release.

Pride, whose brands include Merit ‘O Pride, Poinsettia and Apple Valley, grows apples, pears, cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines on 3,000 acres. The company operates its own packing and cold storage facilities, as well.

Further development of Pride will continue to focus on planting additional acreage of complementary products, according to the Vanguard release.