Sandher Fruit Packers
Sandher Fruit Packers is a family-owned, vertically integrated apple and cherry grower and packer in Kelowna, BC, distributing to Canadian retailers and exporting to the EU, UK, and Asia, while providing paid packing and storage services to third-party growers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersKelowna, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sandher Fruit Packers does
Sandher Fruit Packers is a family-owned, vertically integrated fruit growing and packing company headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Founded in 1987 by Bill Sandher after immigrating from India, the company today operates under the Sandher family — including Bill, his wife Sukhi, and sons Gurtaj (President) and Prabtaj — and runs both its own orchards and a modern packing facility at 3231 Old Vernon Road in Kelowna. It cultivates and packs six apple varieties (Ambrosia, Royal Gala, Honeycrisp, Mac/McIntosh, Spartan, and Granny Smith) along with cherries, with cherry capacity currently being expanded at Pyman Mountain.
The company's core operational asset is a modern, capital-intensive packing facility that handles the full vertical chain — nurturing, harvesting, cleaning, sorting, packing, shipping, and marketing — supported by advanced cold storage solutions and an onsite water management system permitted by the BC Ministry of Environment. Total facility capacity exceeds 39 million pounds of fruit. Output is distributed through three channels: Canadian retail grocery, international export to the European Union, United Kingdom, and Asia, and paid packing/storing services for third-party growers. The third-party services line grew materially in 2024 when Sandher absorbed 11 local growers displaced by the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative closure, processing over 12 million pounds of additional apples.
The business model combines own-fruit revenue (one-time sale of apples and cherries to retailers and exporters) with fee-based B2B packing and storage services, plus a temporary water-processing arrangement with the City of Kelowna. Food safety compliance — Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Global Food Safety Initiative, Canada Gap, Global Gap, and Nurture programs, validated through annual third-party audits — underwrites international market access. The company employs 11–50 people, has no institutional investors, and maintains a community-facing brand through donations (37,500 lbs of apples to Central Okanagan Food Bank) and the Adam's Apples Foundation school snack program.
Sandher Fruit Packers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sandher Fruit Packers
- Legal name
- Sandher Fruit Packers
- Website
- https://sandherfruit.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sandher Fruit Packers is a family-owned, vertically integrated apple and cherry grower and packer in Kelowna, BC, distributing to Canadian retailers and exporting to the EU, UK, and Asia, while providing paid packing and storage services to third-party growers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sandher Fruit Packers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fresh Fruit Production & Packing
- NAICS
- Apple Orchards (111331), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448), Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fresh Fruit Wholesale (AFAIACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Produce (Fruits & Vegetables) Cold Storage & Ripening (TLALABAE), Fresh Produce Wholesale (Fruit & Vegetables) (AFAIABAE)
Keywords
Where Sandher Fruit Packers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kelowna
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sandher Fruit Packers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Fruit Sales: Revenue from growing, packing and selling their own apples and cherries to grocery stores and international markets.
- Packing Services: Paid service agreement providing storage, packing and shipping services for other local growers affected by the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative closure. Processing over 12 million pounds of additional apples for 11 local growers.
- Water Processing Services: Temporary paid service agreement with City of Kelowna for processing water used in fruit washing and packing line.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Sandher Fruit Packers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sandher Fruit Packers is a vertically integrated fruit growing and packing company that cultivates, harvests, cleans, sorts, packs, and ships its own apples (Ambrosia, Royal Gala, Honeycrisp, Mac, Spartan, Granny Smith) and cherries to Canadian grocery retailers and international markets in the European Union, United Kingdom, and Asia. The company also offers paid third-party packing and storage services to local BC fruit growers, with a modern facility capable of storing over 39 million pounds of fruit.
Product overview
Sandher Fruit Packers operates as a vertically integrated fruit cultivation and packing company offering a portfolio of apple varieties (Ambrosia, Royal Gala, Honeycrisp, McIntosh/Mac, Spartan, and Granny Smith) and cherries. The company oversees the entire fruit lifecycle from tree planting through cultivation, harvesting, cleaning, sorting, packing, and shipping to retail stores. Their modern fruit packing facility in Kelowna, BC processes apples and cherries for local and international markets including the European Union, United Kingdom, and Asia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ambrosia Apple A crisp and sweet apple variety with a creamy yellow background and red blushes, offering a blend of honeyed sweetness and subtle tanginess, suited for snacking and culinary uses.
- Royal Gala Apple A sweet and crisp apple with vibrant red and yellow skin with streaks of green, offering a balanced flavour for snacking and dishes.
- Honeycrisp Apple An apple known for its crisp texture and explosively juicy bite, with a distinctive combination of sweetness and slight tartness, popular for fresh snacking and culinary applications.
- Mac Apple (McIntosh) A classic Canadian apple variety with tart flavour, juicy texture, and red-green skin, often used in cooking and baking because it holds its shape when cooked.
- Spartan Apple An apple with vibrant red colour and firm texture, offering a blend of sweetness and tartness with a satisfying crunch for snacking or culinary uses.
- Granny Smith Apple A vibrant green-skinned apple with firm texture and refreshing tartness with a hint of sweetness, versatile for salads, pies, and sauces.
- Cherries Cherry varieties cultivated at Sandher Orchards in the Okanagan region, with future expansion planned at Pyman Mountain.
- Fruit Packing Services End-to-end fruit processing services including cleaning, sorting, packing, storage, and shipping under a vertical integration model, offered to local BC fruit growers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Storage capacity of 39 million pounds of fruit from area farms
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sandher Fruit Packers
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sandher Fruit Packers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sandher Fruit Packers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Adam's Apples FoundationcoreSandher Fruit Packers supplies Adam's Apples Foundation with all their apples for Lower Mainland schools, enabling more students to share a healthy snack.
- Central Okanagan Food BankminorSandher Fruit Packers donated over 37,500 lbs of fresh apples to the Central Okanagan Food Bank to ensure more people can access fresh, nutritious food.
- City of KelownacoreTemporary paid service agreement for processing water used in the Sandher fruit washing and packing line while the facility's water management permit application is reviewed by Ministry of Environment. Allows Sandher and other local growers to continue operations.
- Canadian Food Inspection AgencycoreRegulatory body that validates Sandher Fruit Packers' food safety programs and ensures compliance with Canadian food safety standards.
- Global Food Safety InitiativecoreInternational organization that benchmarks food safety standards; Sandher maintains compliance validated through annual third-party audits.
- Canada GapcoreFood safety certification program for good agricultural practices; Sandher maintains this certification for market access.
- Global GapcoreInternational farm assurance certification; Sandher maintains this certification to broaden sales reach to international markets.
- CTQ ConsultantsminorEngineering consultants engaged to develop comprehensive water management permit application submitted to BC Ministry of Environment.
- Aspen Lands AdvisoryminorAdvisory firm retained to manage water management project, coordinating between Sandher, other consultants, and Ministry of Environment.
- Associated EnvironmentalminorHydrogeologists engaged to conduct water quality reports and assessments for permit application.
- Alpine EngineeringminorEngineering firm that conducted thorough inspection and evaluation of current wash water disposal system and field.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sandher Fruit Packers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stemilt Growers: Vertically integrated Washington-state grower-packer of apples, cherries, pears, and stone fruit. Closest peer: same vertical integration model, similar product mix (apples + cherries), similar export reach to Asia and Europe.
- Sage Fruit Company: Washington-based apple grower-packer marketing premium varieties domestically and internationally. Comparable as a vertically integrated apple packer serving retail and export channels.
- Rainier Fruit Company: Family-owned Washington-state vertically integrated apple, pear, and cherry grower-packer. Closely comparable business model, crop portfolio, and international export orientation.
- Columbia Marketing International (CMI): Washington-based vertically integrated grower-packer of apples, cherries, and pears with extensive export programs to Asia and other markets. Directly comparable in scale, model, and product mix.
- Consolidated Fruit Packers: BC-based (Okanagan) apple packer with grower base and export channels. Directly comparable as a regional apple packing specialist in the same Canadian growing region.
- Domex Superfresh Growers: Vertically integrated Washington-state grower-packer of apples, pears, and cherries with national and international distribution. Comparable scale, model, and crop diversification strategy.
- Chelan Fresh Marketing: Washington-based grower-packer marketing apples, cherries, and pears internationally. Directly comparable in scale, crop mix, and vertically integrated grower-packer model with strong export business.
Regional players
- HMC Farms: California-based vertically integrated grower of apples, stone fruit, and table grapes. Comparable vertically integrated grower-packer model but operates in a different (warmer) growing region with different crop focus.
Emerging players
- Crunch Pak: Washington-based value-added apple slicer/packer specializing in fresh-cut packaged apples for retail and foodservice. Comparable upstream apple sourcing but downstream differentiated into value-added processing.
- Okanagan Specialty Fruits: BC-based (Summerland) company focused on Arctic-brand non-browning apples and grower/packer activities. Regional peer operating in the same Okanagan growing geography but differentiated by varietal IP focus.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sandher Fruit Packers social profiles
Digital presenceSandher Fruit Packers compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Sandher Fruit Packers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sandher Fruit Packers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sandher Fruit Packers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sandher Fruit Packers 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 Sandher Fruit Packers
What does Sandher Fruit Packers do?
Sandher Fruit Packers is a vertically integrated fruit growing and packing company that cultivates, harvests, cleans, sorts, packs, and ships its own apples (Ambrosia, Royal Gala, Honeycrisp, Mac, Spartan, Granny Smith) and cherries to Canadian grocery retailers and international markets in the European Union, United Kingdom, and Asia. The company also offers paid third-party packing and storage services to local BC fruit growers, with a modern facility capable of storing over 39 million pounds of fruit.
Is Sandher Fruit Packers a public or private company?
Sandher Fruit Packers is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Sandher Fruit Packers founded?
Sandher Fruit Packers was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sandher Fruit Packers based?
Sandher Fruit Packers is headquartered in Kelowna, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Sandher Fruit Packers make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fruit Sales are the primary driver. The others are packing Services and water Processing Services.
Who are Sandher Fruit Packers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stemilt Growers, Sage Fruit Company, Rainier Fruit Company, Columbia Marketing International (CMI), Consolidated Fruit Packers, Domex Superfresh Growers and Chelan Fresh Marketing. HMC Farms is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Crunch Pak and Okanagan Specialty Fruits.
Does Sandher Fruit Packers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sandher Fruit Packers.
What industry is Sandher Fruit Packers in?
Sandher Fruit Packers's product category is Fresh Fruit Production & Packing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAIACAA, Fresh Fruit Wholesale, with a secondary code of TLALABAE, Produce (Fruits & Vegetables) Cold Storage & Ripening. Its NAICS code is 111331 and its SIC code is 5140.