What Stemilt Growers does

Stemilt Growers is a privately held, family-owned vertically integrated fruit company that grows, packs, and ships fresh apples, pears, and cherries from orchards in Washington State and California to grocery retailers and food service customers in the US and internationally. Founded in 1964 by Tom Mathison, with family roots dating to 1893, the business is now operated by the fifth-generation Mathison family, with West Mathison as President and Tate Mathison as VP of Sales and Marketing. The company sells under a portfolio of registered brands including the flagship World Famous Fruit, Kyle's Pick and Moon Cherries (premium cherries), Rave and Aura (branded apples), Rushing Rivers and Happi Pear (pears), Lil Snappers (kid-sized fruit), and Artisan Organics (USDA-certified organic line), reaching grocery chains and food service operators through dedicated Domestic and International Sales teams.

The operational technology stack is centered on post-harvest quality and orchard input management rather than software or AI. Core capabilities include controlled-atmosphere storage enabling year-round apple availability, in-orchard hydrocooling for cherries within hours of harvest, precision irrigation driven by moisture probes, integrated pest management using beneficial insects and raptors, a 23-acre composting facility that converts 40,000 tons of organic material annually into 16,000 tons of orchard compost, and the Fresh Cube automated distribution center. The company holds the industry-first full Equitable Food Initiative certification across all owned orchards and packing facilities (2021) and Bee Friendly Farming certification, supported by 140 acres of native wildflower habitat. Headcount of 1,600 year-round employees scales to 4,000 during cherry season across eleven owned facilities.

The revenue model is straightforward B2B sale of fresh produce to retailers and food service operators, augmented by branded SKU premiums (Kyle's Pick, Moon Cherries, Lil Snappers, Artisan Organics), direct-to-consumer sales through the Stemilt Retail Store in Wenatchee, gift fruit (Sincerely Fresh), and Stemilt Creek Winery as an adjacent brand extension. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates through negotiated retailer contracts. There are no external investors, no funding rounds, and no parent company; the business is wholly Mathison-family controlled and structured as Stemilt Growers LLC in Washington State.

Name

Stemilt Growers

Legal name

Stemilt Growers LLC

Website

https://stemilt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Stemilt Growers is a family-owned, vertically integrated grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, and cherries based in Wenatchee, Washington, serving grocery retailers and food service operators in the US and internationally through a portfolio of branded products including World Famous Fruit, Kyle's Pick, and Happi Pear.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Tree Fruit Production

NAICS

Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (11133), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Pome Fruit Orchards (Apples, Pears, Quinces) (AFAGACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stone Fruit Orchards (Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, Cherries, Apricots) (AFAGACAC), Organic Fruit & Tree Nut Farming (Orchards) (AFAGAKAB), Orchard Management & Field Operations (Pruning/Training, Thinning, Irrigation/Fertigation) (AFAGACAL)

Keywords

• Fresh fruit production
• Tree fruit growing
• Apple pear cherry packing
• Organic fruit farming
• Vertically integrated agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Wenatchee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Fruit Sales: Stemilt grows, packs, and ships apples, pears, and cherries to grocery retailers and food service companies. Revenue is generated through the sale of fresh produce. The company operates as a vertically integrated producer, controlling the entire process from orchard to table.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stemilt Growers is a vertically integrated tree fruit company that grows, packs, and ships apples, pears, and cherries from its own orchards in Washington State and California to grocery retailers and food service operators. The company sells under multiple branded programs including World Famous Apples, World Famous Cherries, Rushing Rivers Pears, Artisan Organics, Lil Snappers, Kyle's Pick, Moon Cherries, 5 River Islands, Skylar Rae, Rave, Aura, and Happi Pear, leveraging controlled atmosphere storage, in-orchard hydrocooling, and a 23-acre composting operation to deliver year-round fresh fruit.

Product overview

Stemilt Growers is a vertically integrated fruit company offering a diverse portfolio of fresh produce centered around three core product lines: World Famous Apples, World Famous Cherries, and Rushing Rivers Pears. The company operates through multiple branded sub-products including Artisan Organics (certified organic line), Lil Snappers (kid-sized fruit in resealable packaging), Kyle's Pick (ultra-premium cherry selection), and A Half Mile Closer to the Moon Cherries (high-altitude premium cherries). Additional branded offerings include Rave and Aura apples, Happi Pear, 5 River Islands Cherries, and Skylar Rae Cherries. The company grows, packs, and ships fruit from its family-owned orchards in Washington state and California, employing approximately 1,600 year-round workers expanding to 4,000 during cherry season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Artisan Organics™: Organic fruit program launched over 30 years ago by founder Tom Mathison, producing organic apples, pears, and cherries under strict national organic standards.
• Rushing Rivers®
• Lil Snappers®
• Kyle's Pick®
• A Half Mile Closer to the Moon®
• 5 River Islands™
• Skylar Rae®
• Rave®
• Aura®
• World Famous Fruit
• Moon Cherries
• Responsible Choice®
• Sincerely Fresh Gift Fruit
• Stemilt Creek Winery

Products and services

• World Famous Apples

Quantifiable outcome

• First tree fruit company to achieve full EFI (Equitable Food Initiative) certification for all owned orchards and packing facilities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Equitable Food Initiative (EFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStemilt was the first tree fruit grower, packer, and shipper to achieve full EFI certification across all owned orchards and packing facilities. EFI trains and develops cross-functional leadership teams that foster continuous improvement in farm working conditions, food safety, and industry challenges. Nine active leadership teams dedicate 8,000 hours annually towards EFI initiatives.
• Pollinator PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStemilt is Bee Friendly Farming certified by Pollinator Partnership, providing nutrition and habitats for bees including 140 acres of native wildflowers around orchards to support pollinators.
• CIERTOminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStemilt works with CIERTO to ensure ethical recruitment of H2A guest workers from Mexico, supporting fair working conditions for seasonal labor.
• Keyes PackagingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough partnership with Keyes Packaging, Stemilt recycles over 2 million pounds of cardboard each year into upcycled fruit trays, creating a local circular packaging system.
• Disruptive PackagingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStemilt is collaborating with Disruptive Packaging and other organic produce companies to develop sustainable packaging solutions including paper bands, fiber trays, and recyclable cartons.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Honeybear Brands: Minnesota-based grower and marketer of apples and pears, sourcing from PNW and other regions. Comparable branded apple and pear strategy serving grocery retailers, with overlapping customer base to Stemilt.
• Rainier Fruit Company: Vertically integrated grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, and cherries headquartered in Selah, Washington. Operates the same core fruit categories from overlapping PNW orchards with similar B2B retail and food-service go-to-market motion.
• Domex Superfresh Growers: Washington-based vertically integrated grower and shipper of apples, pears, and cherries. Closely comparable scale, geography, and product mix to Stemilt, serving the same grocery retail and food-service customers.
• Chelan Fresh: Marketing arm for Chelan Fruit Cooperative, growing and shipping apples, pears, and cherries from Washington state. Direct competitor in PNW tree fruit with similar retail and international distribution channels.
• CMI Orchards: Washington-based grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, and cherries, marketing multiple branded varieties (e.g., Envy, Jazz, Kanzi). Comparable vertically integrated model with branded SKU strategy that mirrors Stemilt's premium cherry and apple positioning.
• Washington Fruit & Produce Co. Yakima, WA-based vertically integrated grower of apples, pears, and cherries supplying retail and food-service channels. Direct competitor in core categories with similar scale and geographic footprint.
• HMC Farms: California-based multi-generational grower of stone fruit, table grapes, and citrus. Comparable in being a family-owned, vertically integrated specialty fruit producer, though more weighted to stone fruit and California geography than Stemilt.

Emerging players

• Crunch Pak: Washington-based producer of sliced apples and other fresh-cut fruit, including kid-oriented SKUs that compete directly with Stemilt's Lil Snappers brand in the convenient, kid-sized produce segment.

Broad incumbents

• Driscoll's: Largest berry marketer globally, with vertically integrated grower networks and category-leading branded fresh produce. Comparable as a large-scale branded fresh fruit shipper, though focused on berries rather than tree fruit.
• T&G Global: Globally diversified fresh produce company marketing apples (including Envy and Jazz), grapes, and citrus. Comparable in branded apple marketing and vertically integrated PNW/orchard supply, but with broader international reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stemilt Growers