Sage Fruit Co. names new CEO

Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. has promoted Nicole Gordy, the company’s director of business analytics, to CEO, succeeding Steve Clement as he becomes PNW Tree Fruit’s new CEO. 

“PNW Tree Fruit has assembled an impressive array of assets, including state-of-the-art packing facilities and the most modern orchard systems available today,” Clement said in the release. “I am really excited to join this exceptional team as we strive for excellence in growing, packing, and delivering fruit.”

Sage Fruit said PNW Tree Fruit owns 6,000 acres of orchards and fruit packers including Legacy Fruit Packers, Chelan Fruit and Manson Fruit. Legacy Fruit Packers has packed for Sage Fruit since 1999, while Chelan Fruit packed for the company since 2022.

Clement will also become the chairman of the board at Sage Fruit, according to the release.

“I am extremely excited and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the CEO of Sage Fruit,” Gordy said in a release. “Steve Clement’s leadership and mentorship have prepared me for this role, and I look forward to working with him in his capacity as chairman of the Sage Fruit board.

"I am confident that this change strengthens Sage’s position in our industry by further aligning sales with our warehouses and growers," Gordy added. "I look forward to collaborating closely with our outstanding team to advance our growth and continue fulfilling our mission to create value for our customers, growers and employees.” 

Clement, who has spent 18 years at the helm of Sage Fruit, said in the release that the company has worked hard to develop systems and processes to ensure high-quality fruit.

“I am immensely proud of what we have built at Sage Fruit Company,” he said. “The sales and warehouse teams associated with Sage operate in close synergy. … Our teams work closely together and deeply care about each other, our growers and our customers.”