Stemilt Growers reflects on successes of 2023, looks ahead to 2024
Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers, a packer, grower and distributor of tree fruit, recently shared a 2023 company recap — and an outlook for 2024.
The company said in a news release that it experienced a 43% year-over-year increase in apple crop yield, and it continued to modernize orchard practices and its mix of varietals in the process.
Stemilt said the company and its partners earned several recognitions in 2023, including the Washington Association of School Administrators' Community Leadership Award for a partnership with Eastmont High School’s Project SEARCH, a transition to work program that helps secure competitive employment for people with disabilities.
The company marketed more than 15 million boxes of apples out of Washington state, building upon a footprint that has grown by 4,000 acres since 2020, according to the release.
"Being a family-owned business, we continue to prioritize our core values of integrity, trust, humility, stewardship and innovation, which are woven into everything we do," Stemilt Growers CEO West Mathison said in the release. "As the business has continued to expand, those values and our dedication to providing freshness to every consumer, continue to guide our decisions and ensure that with each new step we take, the company remains true to my grandfather's original vision of providing high-quality, trustworthy produce to consumers nationwide."
Looking to 2024
Stemilt said 2024 will bring new variety development across apples, pears and cherries. The company launched Happi Pear, which came to market in late 2023, and a yellow-skinned Aura apple making its second limited-time offering season in January.
The company plans to add more sweet cherry orchards to expand volume for key time frames to accommodate expanded retail distribution of cherries, which remain a popular seasonal item, the release said.
"As growing conditions were tremendous this year, we anticipate impressive volume and quality in 2024 crop yields," Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers, said in the release. "That said, we are seeing apples like Cosmic Crisp, a varietal that broke into the top 10 by sales in 2023, and Honeycrisp, a top seller across the category, positioned to have big years in terms of volume. In addition to that, Stemilt consumers can look forward to kid-favorite Lil Snappers apple bags continuing to be sold in stores as well as a new sustainable 4-pack for organic apples, which will be available under the Artisan Organics label."
