Gilbert Orchards

What Gilbert Orchards does

Gilbert Orchards is a fifth-generation, family-owned commercial fruit grower headquartered in Yakima, Washington, operating continuously since 1897. The company produces premium apples (including Cosmic Crisp, Red, Golden, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, and Braeburn), pears (Anjou), and cherries (Dark Sweet) in both organic and conventional varieties across multiple sites in Eastern Washington — including Wiley City, Mattawa, Pine Hollow, Cold Creek, Kennewick, and Wapato — with the 2022 acquisition of Highland Fruit Growers adding 750 acres of orchards plus storage and packing infrastructure, and the 2023 acquisition of Columbia Valley Fruit facilities further extending capacity. The company holds USDA Organic, GlobalG.A.P., and Primus GFS certifications and operates with a small core team of 11–50 employees in a hands-on, multi-generational management structure under President Sean Gilbert.\n\nThe business model is wholesale-only B2B fruit production. All fruit is sold through a single dedicated channel partner, Washington Fruit Growers (which assumed sales and distribution responsibilities in 2023), with select premium varieties also supplied via the long-standing Sund-Gil partnership with Sundquist Fruit originating in 2009. There is no direct-to-consumer pricing, no public revenue figure, and no disclosed technology platform — the company is a traditional, land- and capital-intensive perennial crop operator that has progressively consolidated regional orchards and outsourced packing and global shipping to a specialist partner. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is contractually negotiated within the wholesale channel.

Name

Gilbert Orchards

Legal name

Gilbert Orchards

Website

https://gilbertfruit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gilbert Orchards is a fifth-generation, family-owned grower of premium apples, pears, and cherries in Eastern Washington, founded in 1897. Since 2023, the company sells all of its wholesale fruit exclusively through channel partner Washington Fruit Growers for global distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Fresh Fruit Production

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Combination Farming (111336), Apple Orchards (111331), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

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)

Keywords

• Wholesale fruit production
• Apple pear cherry growing
• Organic conventional orchards
• Fresh fruit distribution
• Family owned farm

Headquarters

HQ city

Yakima

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. Wholesale Fruit Sales: Gilbert Orchards grows apples, pears, and cherries which are sold wholesale through Washington Fruit Growers. The company grows both organic and conventional fruit, with distribution to markets around the world through their partner.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Gilbert Orchards is a family-owned fruit growing operation that cultivates and sells apples (including Cosmic Crisp), pears (Anjou), and cherries (Dark Sweet) in both organic and conventional varieties. All fruit is produced on company-owned and leased orchards across Eastern Washington and sold exclusively wholesale through channel partner Washington Fruit Growers, which handles packing, shipping, and global distribution.

Product overview

Gilbert Orchards operates as a single unified offering: a family-owned fruit growing, packing, and shipping business spanning 125+ years. The company grows and sells three primary product lines—Apples (including Cosmic Crisp), Pears (including Anjou), and Cherries (including Dark Sweet)—available in both organic and conventional varieties. All fruit is distributed globally through their partnership with Washington Fruit Growers. The products represent a vertically integrated operation from orchard to market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apples Fresh apples including Cosmic Crisp variety, grown organically and conventionally in Eastern Washington, handpicked at peak ripeness and sold wholesale.
• Pears Fresh pears including Anjou variety, sustainably grown in the Yakima Valley and shipped globally wholesale through Washington Fruit Growers.
• Cherries Fresh cherries including Dark Sweet variety, cultivated with sustainable farming practices and delivered fresh to wholesale markets worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handpicked at peak ripeness for unmatched taste

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Washington Fruit GrowerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Partnered with Washington Fruit Growers in 2023 to handle all sales and distribution. Washington Fruit Growers has been growing, packing, and shipping fruit to customers around the world since 1916, employing state-of-the-art technologies and advanced horticultural practices.
• Columbia Valley FruitmajorOthers · 1 January 2023Purchased Columbia Valley Fruit facilities in 2023 to expand operations and capacity.
• Highland Fruit Growers, Inc.majorOthers · 1 January 2022Acquired Highland Fruit Growers, Inc. in 2022, adding more storage and packing facilities as well as 750 acres of orchards.
• Sundquist Fruit / Andrew SundquistcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Since 2009, Gilbert Orchards has partnered with Andrew Sundquist of Sundquist Fruit to dramatically increase its offerings of premium-quality apples and pears. The partnership began with 'Sund-Gil' north of Pasco and continues to be a key strategic relationship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Congdon Orchards: Yakima Valley family-owned grower of apples, cherries, peaches, and stone fruit. Comparable on multi-generation family ownership, Yakima Valley growing region, and wholesale marketing of apples and cherries.
• Rainier Fruit Company: Pacific Northwest grower, packer, and shipper of apples, pears, cherries, and blueberries with operations in Washington state. Direct comparable on crop mix (organic and conventional apples/pears/cherries) and on global wholesale distribution to retail and food-service.
• Brewster Heights Packing & Orchards: Family-owned Washington apple, pear, and cherry grower-packer based in Brewster, WA. Comparable on multi-generational family ownership, Yakima/Wenatchee-area growing geography, and vertically integrated orchard-to-packing operation.
• Stemilt Growers: Family-owned Pacific Northwest grower-packer-marketer of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit headquartered in Wenatchee, WA. Highly comparable to Gilbert in product mix (apples, pears, cherries), geography (WA), go-to-market (wholesale to retail), and vertically integrated orchard-to-warehouse model.
• Domex Superfresh Growers: Yakima, WA-based grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit with vertically integrated orchards and packing facilities. Closely matches Gilbert on Yakima Valley origin, multi-fruit (including organic) portfolio, and wholesale distribution model.
• Sage Fruit Company: Yakima, WA-based grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit serving retail and wholesale customers globally. Direct comparable on Yakima Valley origin, multi-fruit offering, and B2B wholesale distribution.
• CMI Orchards: Wenatchee, WA-based apple and pear grower-marketer with branded programs (KIKU, Ambrosia, Envy, Jazz, Pacific Rose). Comparable on apple/pear production, Pacific Northwest geography, and wholesale marketing model to retail.

Broad incumbents

• Oneonta Trading Corporation: Pacific Northwest grower-packer-marketer of apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit serving retail, wholesale, and export markets. Larger and more diversified than Gilbert, with comparable Washington-grown product portfolio and wholesale distribution to global customers.
• Washington Fruit Growers: Gilbert's exclusive distribution and packing partner since 2023; family-owned packer/shipper operating since 1916 across apples, pears, and cherries. Larger and broader in scope than Gilbert, owning its own orchards in addition to handling third-party fruit, but highly comparable on product mix and global wholesale distribution.

Regional players

• Hood River Cherry Company: Family-owned Oregon cherry grower-pack-marketer with global wholesale distribution. Comparable on cherry production and family ownership, but operates primarily in Oregon's Hood River Valley rather than Washington, so it competes in the same global category without directly overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gilbertorchards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gilbert-orchards

Compliance3 records

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 Gilbert Orchards