Stemilt Growers in prime pear position

Stemilt Growers sources its Rushing Rivers label pears from the Wenatchee and Entiat River Valleys, said Brianna Shales, marketing director for the Wenatchee, Wash.-based company.

“What is unique about our operation is that our packing and shipping facilities are located within miles of our farms,” Shales said. “This is advantageous for pears, especially summer varieties that require cooling and packing quickly after harvest.”

Stemilt will have similar volumes of pears compared to last year, Shales said.

Stemilt Growers’ Lil Snappers pear program continues to be a great merchandising vehicle for pears, Shales said. “The fruit inside is sized just for kids and makes a great grab-and-go option to help parents provide healthy fruits in lunches or snacks for school. It’s also a great item for e-commerce because it moves through the supply chain with ease.”

Shales said sustainable packaging solutions are an area of focus for Stemilt, but the biggest trend in packaging as of late has been the desire to have produce packaged in bags. 

“The pear category saw an 18% increase in the volume of bags sold during the last year, while bulk pear volumes were down 3.5%. I think it is a combination of pandemic, the rise of e-commerce, and consumers just wanting convenience when it comes to shopping for produce,” she said. 

More than 15% of Stemilt’s pears are organic, Shales said.

Shales said Stemilt goes nearly year-round on pears, although the bulk of the season runs from August through springtime. Shales said the firm’s organic pears tend to wrap a month or so before conventional, depending on the variety.