WENATCHEE, WA - One of the loveliest things about working in the produce business is seeing companies turn into legacies. For one such apple grower, the legacy has long been in the making. Stemilt came from humble origins as a quaint family farm on Stemilt Hill, with only a dream and 10 acres of apples, pears, and cherries behind it. In 2024, the grower celebrates its 60 years of business anniversary by looking back at its family history and to future of freshness and innovation.
“One thing that is deeply seated in Stemilt’s roots and culture is a promise my grandfather, Tom Mathison, made to himself after he returned from WWII,” remarked President West Mathison. “As he was lying in a ditch for 18 hours, he promised he would not let worry get in the way of his life anymore. He was just a high school dropout living on Stemilt Hill who had to overcome many adversities in his lifetime, but he never let these things stop him from supporting his family and making a mark in the industry. I think it’s that same curiosity and strong drive to innovate that Tom had that we still carry with us at Stemilt.”
Tate Mathison, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, also reflected on their great grandfather’s curiosity and innovations that still remain influential to the company today.
“After he learned some new harvest techniques, he brought them to the family co-op, who turned him down because they didn’t have the money at the time to build a cold chain or hire a larger crew,” Tate reminisced. “My grandmother spelled it out plainly for him saying ‘Tommy, you figure out what’s wrong and fix it, or go get a job to support this family.’ He had two choices in that moment, and he chose to fix his problems.”
One of his greatest challenges, known at Stemilt as the cherry crop disaster of 1958, was a pivotal point in Stemilt’s history: Tom received a mere $88 on his 100-ton cherry crop. According to a press release, he followed his cherries to the New York market in 1959 to find they had lost their luster from the journey. That same year, he traveled to California to study how Italian families harvested cherries; in 1964, Tom founded Stemilt Growers and began packing his own cherries in a small-scale facility that he constructed.
“Tom wanted to go to market with Stemilt, but he was also a big collaborator and wanted to advance quality for the industry as a whole,” added West. “Because of Tom, Stemilt has carried on his legacy of overcoming adversity and adjusting to the challenges you face as a grower.”
Today, the grower is one of the largest employers in the Wenatchee Valley and looks to a future of freshness, innovation, and authenticity for years to come, a release outlined. Innovation remains a strong pillar at Stemilt, with in-house research and development that has led it to brand and market new varieties in recent years like Rave® apples, Happi Pear®, and Aura® apples. The company even offers a sustainable solution for selling bulk organic apples, releasing a recyclable 4-pack of apples called EZ Band in 2023.
To celebrate its family legacy, Stemilt marked its official anniversary on January 31, 2024, with birthday party festivities throughout its operations to thank those who have made Stemilt the success it is today.
“The 60th anniversary celebration was a special occasion for everyone at Stemilt, and is made possible by our Stemilters, growers, and partner customers that have been part of our journey,” said West. “Every one of our Stemilters, growers, customers, and consumers are part of this generational journey. With freshness as our guiding post, we hope to continue delight the world with World Famous Fruit for years to come.”
To learn more about the company’s history, take a deep dive into one of our previous Snack articles.
Congratulations to Stemilt on this huge milestone!
