What Chelan Fresh does

Chelan Fresh is a grower-owned fresh fruit company headquartered in Chelan, Washington, operating under the legal entity ALTAFRESH, LLC. Founded in 2004, the company represents multi-generational family farms in North Central Washington, including grower groups Borton Fruit and Gebbers Farms, with many farms now led by fourth or fifth generations. Its core product portfolio spans more than 20 varieties of apples, cherries, and pears, anchored by proprietary trademarked apple varieties — KORU®, Lucy™ (red-fleshed), SugarBee® (Honeycrisp hybrid), Rockit™ (miniature snack-size), and Cosmic Crisp® — alongside USDA Organic-certified lines under the Joyfully Grown Organic™ and Cascade Crest Organics sub-brands.

The company makes money through two primary channels: B2B wholesale distribution of fresh fruit to grocery retailers via account manager-led sales (phone, email, fax), and direct-to-consumer nationwide shipping through the Goldbelly marketplace platform. It also maintains export capabilities for international markets and offers B2B support services including a member-only Retail Toolkit, Cherry QC protocols, and downloadable food safety certificates. Its consumer-facing identity, consolidated in 2022 under the Joyfully Grown™ brand, emphasizes three pillars — Our Food, Our Planet, Our People — and the company publicly differentiates by stating no Apeel coating is used on its fruit.

With 11-50 employees, Chelan Fresh operates without disclosed institutional investment or public listing, structured as a cooperative-style grower collective rather than a traditional corporate hierarchy. Trade marketing is supported through content channels including a recipe library, "To the Core" blog, social media, and partnerships with health-focused organizations like Produce for Better Health and GENYOUth.

Name

Chelan Fresh

Legal name

ALTAFRESH, LLC

Website

https://chelanfresh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chelan Fresh is a grower-owned fresh fruit company representing multi-generational family farms in North Central Washington, producing 20+ varieties of apples, cherries, and pears. It sells wholesale to grocery retailers and ships direct-to-consumer via Goldbelly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fresh Produce Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAC), Fresh Organic Produce Wholesale (AFAIAJAA), Fresh Produce Distribution (CRAOABAB)

Keywords

• Fresh fruit production
• Apple distribution
• Tree fruit wholesale
• Organic fruit farming
• Cherry supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 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 Produce Sales - B2B: Wholesale distribution of apples, cherries, and pears to grocery retailers through trade relationships. Orders handled by account managers via phone, email, or fax.
2. Direct-to-Consumer Shipping: Nationwide consumer shipping of fresh fruit through Goldbelly marketplace platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chelan Fresh is a grower-owned fruit company representing family-owned farms in North Central Washington that produces, packs, and distributes more than 20 varieties of fresh fruit including apples (KORU®, Lucy™, SugarBee®, Rockit™, Cosmic Crisp®, Honeycrisp), cherries, and pears. The company sells primarily wholesale to grocery retailers through account managers, and offers USDA Organic certified lines under Joyfully Grown Organic™ and Cascade Crest Organics.

Product overview

Chelan Fresh is a grower-owned fruit company representing family-owned farms in North Central Washington, offering more than 20 varieties of fresh fruit. The portfolio includes six core apple varieties (KORU®, Lucy™, Honeycrisp, SugarBee®, Rockit™, Cosmic Crisp®), plus cherries, pears, and organic lines under the Joyfully Grown™ Organic and Cascade Crest Organics sub-brands. The company also provides B2B services including a Retail Toolkit (member-only) for marketing support and a Food Safety Program with quality certifications for trade partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KORU® Apple Premium apple variety known for its sweet, spicy flavor with notes of honey, orange, and vanilla. Slow to brown and holds shape well during cooking. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and direct-to-consumer via Goldbelly.
• Lucy™ Apples (Glo & Rose) Red-fleshed apple varieties featuring Lucy Glo (tart and sweet) and Lucy Rose (sweet-tangy with berry hints). Known for striking pink flesh and culinary versatility. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and direct-to-consumer via Goldbelly.
• Honeycrisp Apple Popular apple variety recognized for its exceptional crispness and balanced sweet-tart flavor profile. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers.
• SugarBee® Apple Hybrid apple (Honeycrisp cross) with crispy firm texture and sugar-sweet flavor featuring notes of honey, caramel, and molasses. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and direct-to-consumer via Goldbelly.
• Rockit™ Apple Miniature snack-size apple variety, convenient for grab-and-go consumption. Perfect size for lunchboxes and snacking. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and direct-to-consumer via Goldbelly.
• Cosmic Crisp® Apple Premium apple variety developed for extended storage life and excellent eating quality. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers.
• Cherries Fresh sweet red cherries and Rainier cherries, hand-picked on family farms in North Central Washington. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and direct-to-consumer via Goldbelly.
• Pears Fresh pear varieties including Bartlett and d'Anjou pears from the fertile slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Sold wholesale to grocery retailers and direct-to-consumer via Goldbelly.
• Joyfully Grown™ Organic Organic fruit line grown under USDA Organic approved standards, representing growers committed to sustainable and organic production methods. Includes organic apples, cherries, and pears.
• Cascade Crest Organics Organic fruit brand offering certified organic apples, cherries, and pears.
• Joyfully Grown™ Brand Primary consumer-facing brand identity for Chelan Fresh's apples, pears, and cherries, focusing on where fruit came from, how it was grown, and the grower families behind it. Emphasizes three pillars: Our Food, Our Planet, and Our People.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bashas' SupermarketsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2024Partnered with Chelan Fresh to donate Grab and Go refrigerated produce carts to tribal community schools in Arizona and New Mexico, providing students increased access to healthier school meals and fresh fruit.
• GENYOUthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2024National nonprofit dedicated to providing students with greater access to nutrition and physical activity. Partnered with Chelan Fresh and Bashas' on school produce donation initiative.
• Borton FruitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned farm operation representing one of the founding grower groups in the Chelan Fresh family. Part of multi-generational farming operation in North Central Washington.
• Gebbers FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned farm operation representing one of the founding grower groups in the Chelan Fresh family. Contributes to the multi-generational farm heritage of the collective.
• GoldbellyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline marketplace platform enabling Chelan Fresh to offer nationwide direct-to-consumer shipping of fresh apples, pears, cherries, and organic products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stemilt Growers: Stemilt Growers is a Wenatchee, Washington-based grower, packer, and shipper of apples, pears, and cherries. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Chelan Fresh in branded Washington tree-fruit, operating a similar grower-owned model with proprietary varieties (e.g., Rave, Piñata) and D2C shipping.
• Rainier Fruit Company: Rainier Fruit is a Selah, Washington-based grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, cherries, and blueberries. It directly competes with Chelan Fresh in Washington tree-fruit wholesale, retail pack programs, and organic offerings under the Rainier and Skagit Fresh labels.
• Domex Superfresh Growers: Domex Superfresh Growers is a Yakima, Washington-based grower and shipper of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit. It competes with Chelan Fresh in branded apple varieties, organic lines, and year-round retail supply programs.
• CMI Orchards: CMI Orchards is a Wenatchee, Washington-based grower-marketer of apples, pears, and cherries that licenses and distributes many of the same proprietary apple varieties (e.g., KORU®, Ambrosia, Envy, Jazz, Cosmic Crisp®) that Chelan Fresh carries.
• Crunch Pak: Crunch Pak is a Cashmere, Washington-based sliced apple and fruit products company supplying fresh-cut produce to retail and foodservice. It is a close regional peer to Chelan Fresh in the Washington tree-fruit value chain and shares similar retail and export channels.
• Sage Fruit Company: Sage Fruit is a Yakima, Washington-based apple, pear, and cherry grower-packer-shipper. It competes directly with Chelan Fresh on branded retail apple programs, organic lines, and export volumes out of the Pacific Northwest.
• Honeybear Brands: Honeybear Brands is a Minnesota-based grower and marketer of apples (including Honeybear, Pazazz, and other branded varieties). It is a direct peer in branded apple marketing, retail programs, and proprietary variety commercialization, though with a non-Washington growing base.
• Yakima Fresh: Yakima Fresh is a Yakima, Washington-based grower-marketer of apples, pears, and cherries. It is a regional direct peer to Chelan Fresh, competing in branded retail packs and export programs out of the Yakima Valley.
• Washington Fruit Growers: Washington Fruit Growers is a Yakima, Washington-based grower, packer, and shipper of apples, cherries, and pears. It is a direct regional peer to Chelan Fresh in Washington tree fruit, competing on retail pack programs, export volume, and branded apple marketing.

Broad incumbents

• Driscoll's: Driscoll's is the largest branded fresh berry marketer in North America, operating through independent growers. While it focuses on berries rather than tree fruit, it is a broad incumbent comparable to Chelan Fresh in branded fresh-produce marketing, retailer programs, and proprietary variety development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChelanFresh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ChelanFreshWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChelanFresh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chelan-fresh
• Instagraminstagram.com/chelanfresh
• Pinterestpinterest.com/chelanfresh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Chelan Fresh