Underwood Fruit
Underwood Fruit is a family-owned Yakima, WA packer and shipper of apples, pears, and cherries, serving 55+ growers across 90+ orchard properties in the Columbia River Gorge via owned cold storage and Unitec optical sorting facilities, with global distribution through a 65-year Washington Fruit and Produce marketing partnership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersYakima, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Underwood Fruit does
Underwood Fruit and Warehouse Company, LLC is a privately held, family-owned fruit packing and shipping company headquartered in Yakima, Washington, that has operated continuously since 1917. The company provides packing, cold storage, and shipping services for Pacific Northwest apples, pears, and cherries, serving 55 growers across 90 orchard properties in the Columbia River Gorge plus 68 additional grower families (116 orchard properties) through its subsidiary The Dalles Fruit Company. Annual production includes approximately 2 million boxes of pears, 500,000 boxes of apples, and over 1 million boxes of cherries, with the company owning 20 controlled atmosphere (CA) storage facilities and operating 48 lanes of Unitec electronic sizing and defect-sorting equipment, including a 16-lane optical cherry sizer installed in 2014 that added 30% capacity.
The business model is B2B and transaction-fee based: Underwood receives fruit from grower customers, packs and stores it at owned facilities, and channels finished product to global wholesale and retail markets through a 65-year exclusive marketing partnership with Washington Fruit and Produce Company. Vertical integration is meaningful — the Bloxom family (parent: Mt. Adams Orchards Corporation) owns Mt. Adams Orchards (750 acres of pears, Honeycrisp apples, and cherries) and Alderdale Orchards (580 acres of apples and high-density Bartlett pears), supplying a portion of the fruit Underwood packs. The company maintains Global Gap certification across the grower base and sells into worldwide markets. On October 18, 2017, a catastrophic fire destroyed pear packing operations at the Bingen facility; apple packing continued, and the company is in a rebuilding and recovery phase, temporarily routing pears to industry partners including Stadelman Fruit, Lage Orchards, Congdon Orchards, and Matson Fruit.
Underwood Fruit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Underwood Fruit
- Legal name
- Underwood Fruit and Warehouse Company, LLC
- Website
- https://underwoodfruit.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Underwood Fruit is a family-owned Yakima, WA packer and shipper of apples, pears, and cherries, serving 55+ growers across 90+ orchard properties in the Columbia River Gorge via owned cold storage and Unitec optical sorting facilities, with global distribution through a 65-year Washington Fruit and Produce marketing partnership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Underwood Fruit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fresh Produce Packing Services
- NAICS
- Apple Orchards (111331), Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (11133)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pome Fruit Orchards (Apples, Pears, Quinces) (AFAGACAB)
Keywords
Where Underwood Fruit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yakima
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Underwood Fruit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fruit Packing and Shipping Services: Underwood Fruit provides packing and shipping services for fruit growers (apples, pears, cherries). They receive, store, and pack fruit for markets worldwide. Revenue is generated through packing fees and shipping services for grower customers. The company also packs fruit from their own orchards (Mt. Adams Orchards, Alderdale) and third-party growers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Underwood Fruit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Underwood Fruit is a Pacific Northwest fruit packer and shipper that receives, sorts, stores, packs, and ships apples, pears, and cherries on behalf of 55+ growers farming 90+ orchard properties in the Columbia River Gorge region. The company operates dedicated packing facilities in Bingen, WA (Underwood Fruit and Warehouse Company) and Dallesport, WA (The Dalles Fruit Company), supported by company-owned Mt. Adams Orchards and Alderdale Orchards, and produces nearly 2 million boxes of pears, 500,000 boxes of apples, and over 1 million boxes of cherries annually.
Product overview
Underwood Fruit is a fruit packing and shipping company offering a unified portfolio of fresh produce through its vertically integrated operations. The core offering consists of Underwood Fruit and Warehouse Company (primary packing facility) and The Dalles Fruit Company (cherry-specific packing), supported by Mt. Adams Orchards and Alderdale Orchards for direct fruit production. The company packs and ships apples (Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith), pears (D'Anjou, Bosc, Bartlett, Red d'Anjou, Comice, Forelle, Seckel), and cherries (Bing, Lapin, Sweetheart, Skeena, Regina, Rainier, Chelan) from 55 growers farming 90 orchard properties. Production volumes reach approximately 2 million boxes of pears, 500,000 boxes of apples, and over 1 million boxes of cherries annually. All packing facilities are located in Washington State in the Columbia River Gorge region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Apples Fresh packed apples in varieties including Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, and Golden Delicious, sourced from 90 orchard properties in the Columbia River Gorge and packed at company facilities in Washington State.
- Fresh Pears Fresh packed pears in varieties including D'Anjou, Bosc, Bartlett, Red d'Anjou, Comice, Forelle, and Seckel, packed from the Hood River, White Salmon, and Columbia River growing districts at nearly 2 million boxes per year.
- Fresh Sweet Cherries Fresh packed sweet cherries in varieties including Bing, Lapin, Sweetheart, Skeena, Regina, Attica, Rainier, and Chelan, packed at the Dallesport, WA facility using 16-lane Unitec optical cherry sizing and defect sorting at over 1 million boxes per year.
- Fruit Packing, Cold Storage, and Shipping Services Contract fruit packing, controlled atmosphere cold storage, and shipping services for apples, pears, and cherries, provided to 55+ growers across 90+ orchard properties in the Columbia River Gorge, with cold storage and CA storage facilities in Bingen and Dallesport, WA.
Quantifiable outcome
- Packs nearly 2 million boxes of pears, 500,000 boxes of apples, and over 1 million boxes of cherries annually
Companies that use Underwood Fruit
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Underwood Fruit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Underwood Fruit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Washington Fruit and Produce CompanycorePrimary marketing partner handling domestic and international sales for Underwood Fruit's packed pears, apples, and cherries. Marketing relationship has continued for 65 years, with Washington Fruit and Produce managing sales while Underwood handles packing operations.
- Stadelman FruitminorIndustry partner that helped Underwood Fruit resume pear packing operations following the October 2017 fire at their Bingen facility. Underwood sent pears to Stadelman Fruit to maintain packing operations during recovery.
- Lage OrchardsminorOregon-based industry partner that helped Underwood Fruit resume pear packing operations following the October 2017 fire. Fruit was sent for packing to maintain grower relations.
- Congdon OrchardsminorYakima, Washington-based industry partner that helped Underwood Fruit resume pear packing operations following the October 2017 fire at their Bingen facility.
- Matson FruitminorSelah, Washington-based industry partner that helped Underwood Fruit continue pear packing operations during the recovery period after the 2017 fire.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Underwood Fruit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rainier Fruit Company: Selah, WA-based grower-packer-shipper specializing in apples, cherries, and pears. Comparable vertically integrated tree-fruit packing model with branded retail and foodservice distribution.
- Sage Fruit Company: Pacific Northwest packer-marketer of apples, pears, and cherries serving retail and wholesale customers. Comparable operating model and crop mix to Underwood Fruit's packing and shipping operations.
- Stemilt Growers: Wenatchee, WA-based grower-packer-shipper of apples, pears, and cherries with vertically integrated orchard ownership and dedicated packing lines. Direct competitor to Underwood in Pacific Northwest tree-fruit packing.
- Washington Fruit and Produce Company: Yakima, WA-based grower, packer, and marketer of apples, pears, and cherries. Both Underwood's primary marketing partner and a direct competitor in pear and apple packing; relationship spans 65+ years.
- Domex Superfresh Growers: Yakima, WA-based vertically integrated apple, pear, and cherry grower-packer-shipper operating large-scale orchards and packing facilities. Directly comparable crop portfolio and packing model to Underwood.
- Congdon Orchards: Yakima, WA-based pear packer and orchard operator that provided emergency packing capacity to Underwood after the 2017 fire. Direct peer in Mid-Columbia pear packing.
- Stadelman Fruit: Yakima Valley pear and apple packer-shipper. Served as an overflow packing partner for Underwood after the 2017 Bingen fire, and is a direct peer in the Pacific Northwest pear market.
- Matson Fruit: Selah, WA-based pear packer and shipper that also assisted Underwood with overflow pear packing after the 2017 fire. Direct peer in pear packing and marketing in central Washington.
Emerging players
- Hood River Cherry Company: Hood River, OR-based grower-packer of sweet cherries, with comparable cherry-specific packing and optical sorting capabilities in the Columbia River Gorge region served by Underwood's The Dalles Fruit Company.
Regional players
- Lage Orchards: Oregon-based pear orchard and packing operation in the Hood River valley that supplied overflow packing for Underwood after the 2017 fire. Comparable Mid-Columbia pear packing operations on the Oregon side of the Gorge.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Underwood Fruit social profiles
Digital presenceUnderwood Fruit compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Underwood Fruit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Underwood Fruit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Underwood Fruit subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Underwood Fruit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Underwood Fruit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Underwood Fruit
What does Underwood Fruit do?
Underwood Fruit is a Pacific Northwest fruit packer and shipper that receives, sorts, stores, packs, and ships apples, pears, and cherries on behalf of 55+ growers farming 90+ orchard properties in the Columbia River Gorge region. The company operates dedicated packing facilities in Bingen, WA (Underwood Fruit and Warehouse Company) and Dallesport, WA (The Dalles Fruit Company), supported by company-owned Mt. Adams Orchards and Alderdale Orchards, and produces nearly 2 million boxes of pears, 500,000 boxes of apples, and over 1 million boxes of cherries annually.
Is Underwood Fruit a public or private company?
Underwood Fruit is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Underwood Fruit founded?
Underwood Fruit was founded in 1917. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Underwood Fruit based?
Underwood Fruit is headquartered in Yakima, United States, in the North America region.
How does Underwood Fruit make money?
One revenue line is on record: fruit Packing and Shipping Services.
Who are Underwood Fruit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rainier Fruit Company, Sage Fruit Company, Stemilt Growers, Washington Fruit and Produce Company, Domex Superfresh Growers, Congdon Orchards, Stadelman Fruit and Matson Fruit. Hood River Cherry Company is listed as an emerging player. Lage Orchards is listed as a regional player.
Does Underwood Fruit have an API?
No public API is recorded for Underwood Fruit.
What industry is Underwood Fruit in?
Underwood Fruit's product category is Fresh Produce Packing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAGACAB, Pome Fruit Orchards (Apples, Pears, Quinces). Its NAICS code is 111331 and its SIC code is 100.