NORTHWEST HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

What NORTHWEST HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL does

Northwest Horticultural Council (NHC) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1947 and headquartered in Yakima, Washington. It coordinates activities on behalf of growers, packers, and shippers of apples, pears, and sweet cherries across the Pacific Northwest (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington), a region responsible for 89% of U.S. organic apple acres and 97% of fresh organic apple volume. The organization's membership comprises eight full member organizations including the Washington Apple Commission, Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission, Idaho Apple Commission, Washington State Fruit Commission, Washington State Tree Fruit Association, Northwest Fruit Exporters, and Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers, plus affiliate members. NHC is governed by a Board of Trustees and operates with a small staff of approximately 10 people led by President Mark Powers (since 1999).

NHC's core product suite centers on regulatory intelligence and export compliance resources. The NHC Export Manual provides country-specific guidance for shipping fruit to international markets, the MRL Database (funded by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service) provides pesticide maximum residue level data, and the Organics Program covers USDA National Organic Program requirements and NOSB coordination. Complementary products include the Fresh Fruit Labeling Manual (updated December 2024), Industry Facts and Technical Publications, and a Country Alerts system for real-time regulatory changes. The technology stack is relatively simple: a WordPress-based website and a basic database, with no proprietary AI or software development indicated.

NHC's revenue model is membership-based, funded through recurring assessments from its member commissions and associations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization maintains a coalition network of 17+ partnerships with domestic and international trade associations (IFPA, WAPA, USApple, CPMA, Freshfel Europe, USAEDC, SCFBA) to coordinate advocacy on trade, pesticide policy, labor, and transportation. Its go-to-market is community-led, serving member organizations through direct staff consultation, committee work, and committee publications across food safety, foreign trade, science advisory, and workforce committees.

Name

NORTHWEST HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

Legal name

Northwest Horticultural Council

Website

https://nwhort.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northwest Horticultural Council is a non-profit trade association founded in 1947 that coordinates export compliance, regulatory advocacy, and technical guidance for Pacific Northwest apple, pear, and sweet cherry growers, packers, and shippers across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yakima

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Assessments: NHC is funded through membership fees and assessments from its member organizations including Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers, Idaho Apple Commission, Northwest Fruit Exporters, Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission, Washington Apple Commission, Washington State Fruit Commission, Washington State Tree Fruit Association, and affiliate members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Northwest Horticultural Council is a non-profit trade association that coordinates the activities of growers, packers, and shippers of apples, pears, and sweet cherries in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. It delivers policy advocacy, regulatory guidance, and technical export support through products including the NHC Export Manual, MRL Database, Organics Program, Country Alerts, and Industry Facts and Technical Publications.

Product overview

The Northwest Horticultural Council operates as an industry association offering a suite of informational products and services centered on its Export Manual, which serves as the primary resource for Pacific Northwest tree fruit industry professionals. The core offerings include the NHC Export Manual (comprehensive export guidance), an Organics Program (covering organic certification and NOSB matters), Industry Facts and Technical Publications (fact sheets and technical bulletins), the NHC MRL Database (pesticide residue level information), and a Fresh Fruit Labeling Manual. Additional services include Chemicals information and a Country Alerts System for real-time regulatory updates. These products collectively support growers, packers, and shippers of apples, pears, and sweet cherries in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington with export compliance and industry intelligence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NHC Export Manual Comprehensive online manual providing export guidance for Pacific Northwest tree fruit (apples, pears, cherries) to international markets, including country-specific requirements, regulations, and compliance information for growers, packers, and shippers.
• Organics Program Resource center covering organic production standards, USDA National Organic Program requirements, NOSB meeting information, and state organic certification programs for Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, serving organic tree fruit growers.
• Industry Facts and Technical Publications Collection of industry fact sheets for apples, pears, and cherries, along with technical bulletins on topics including 1-MCP, controlled atmosphere storage, fruit coatings, and traceability systems, serving the Pacific Northwest tree fruit industry.
• NHC MRL Database Maximum Residue Level database providing pesticide MRL information for U.S. growers, packers, and shippers of apples, pears, and sweet cherries in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, utilizing global MRL data funded by USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.
• NHC Fresh Fruit Labeling Manual PDF manual covering labeling requirements for bulk shipping, retail packaging, nutrition labeling, organic labeling, country of origin labeling (COOL), and foreign market requirements for fresh fruit.
• Chemicals Information Resource providing information on agricultural chemicals, pesticide regulations, EPA tolerances, and chemical maximum residue levels relevant to tree fruit production and export.
• Country Alerts System Notification system providing alerts on regulatory changes, export requirements, and trade policy updates affecting tree fruit exports to various countries including Taiwan, Mexico, China, Egypt, and the Philippines.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ag Labor Policy GroupminorOthersCoalition membership for coordinating agricultural labor policy positions
• Agriculture Transportation CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on agricultural transportation policy and advocacy
• Alliance for Food & Farming (AFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition promoting sustainable farming and food production
• Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational trade partnership for produce marketing in Canada
• Center for Produce Safety (CPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for produce safety research and best practices
• Freshfel EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean fresh produce association for international coordination
• International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor industry association for fresh produce worldwide
• U.S. Apple Association (USApple)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational apple industry association for advocacy and coordination
• World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational association for apple and pear industry coordination
• United States Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition promoting US agricultural exports internationally
• Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance advocating for specialty crop Farm Bill priorities
• Pesticide Policy Coalition (PPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition coordinating pesticide policy positions
• Crop Protection Coalition (CPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on crop protection tools and regulations
• National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy for agricultural employer policies
• Minor Crop Farmer Alliance (MCFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance for minor crop farmer interests including specialty crops
• Washington Council on International Trade (WCIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level trade policy advocacy in Washington
• Washington State China Relations CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral relations council for China trade

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Washington Apple Commission: State-level commission promoting Washington apples domestically and internationally. Full NHC member, representing the same producer base on marketing and export promotion.
• Washington State Tree Fruit Association: Regional trade association for Washington's tree fruit industry. NHC member and the closest regional peer, focused on education, research and industry events for the same growers, packers and shippers.
• Washington State Fruit Commission: Washington state commission for soft fruits and NHC member. Directly comparable structure and remit within the same PNW tree fruit ecosystem.
• Idaho Apple Commission: Idaho state apple commission and full NHC member. Comparable state-level commission structure promoting Idaho apples, with overlapping trade and regulatory interests.
• Oregon Sweet Cherry Commission: Oregon state commission for sweet cherries and full NHC member. Comparable commodity-specific commission model covering a sister crop within NHC's portfolio.
• U.S. Apple Association: National trade association representing the U.S. apple industry. Direct counterpart to NHC at the federal/national level, working on overlapping advocacy, research and trade policy issues for the same crop.
• World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA): International association for the global apple and pear industry. Direct peer in scope (apples and pears) and in mission (production and trade forecasting, advocacy), although operating at global rather than U.S. level.

Broad incumbents

• International Fresh Produce Association: Large, established global trade association for the fresh produce and floral industry. NHC coalition partner; broader in scope than NHC but covering overlapping supply chain and policy issues for the same customers.

Regional players

• Freshfel Europe: European fresh produce association. NHC international coordination partner; comparable mission (advocacy and information for fresh produce supply chain) but serving the European market instead of the U.S. PNW.
• Canadian Produce Marketing Association: Canadian fresh produce trade association. NHC international trade partner; comparable trade and policy advocacy remit but focused on the Canadian market rather than U.S. PNW.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwest-horticultural-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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