Thought Leadership In Apples

Consumers and retailers continue to remain loyal to leading apple producers as these companies have maintained a level of consistency that continues to go unmatched. Whether consumers are looking for a healthy snack option or an addition to a meal, apples remain a household staple.

“Crunch Pak was able to find several new partners at retail in Q1,” said Justin Horner with Crunch Pak. "New distribution has been driven by innovation within the category focused on ‘recession proof’ items that are still a must have product for families that are being more intentional with their spending.”

“Our partners are coming to Crunch Pak asking for innovation, exclusivity and solutions that are driven by market trends that other vendors struggle to provide. It is a challenge we take pride in and continues to produce results. Focusing on product quality, safety, and innovation has been at the core of Crunch Pak’s business and enables us to maintain our position as the leading brand in our category,” said Horner.

“Crunch Pak works with some of the best suppliers of apples in the country and that remains the life blood of the company,” he continued. “These partnerships have led to opportunity this year given the challenging crop conditions everyone has been managing. Commitment to quality ingredients in all our products continues to translate into a great consumer experience. Thankfully, the industry recognizes that as a strength our brand brings to the market.”

“Retailers are continuing to look at variety specific programs that might be seasonal or year-round. Not all varieties are suited for processing, but through our partnerships with growers, packers and apple industry leaders, we will continue to work with all new varieties and make sure we are innovating new solutions that match the trends the retailers are seeing on the fresh apple market,” Horner said.

With a focus on providing products that encourage better for you eating habits, NY Apple Association consistently offers meal and snacking solu-

“Our employees are the key to all we do. They come first, middle and last. We’ve got a stellar group at Starr Ranch that continually drives our success from orchards to packing sheds to our sales and marketing efforts. With all things in agriculture, it takes luck and Mother Nature treating us favorably, but with the people we’ve got in place we’re well equipped to make the most of what we’re given."

— Dan Davis, Starr Ranch

tions with fresh, crisp flavors. “New York State grows more than 250 apple varieties with 35 of those grown in large quantities to ship to grocery stores throughout the country,” said Cynthia Haskins, President and CEO of NY Apple Association. “Convenience, flavor and reaching for something that is better for you doesn’t get any easier than selecting a New York State Apple, or two. New York State grows more than 250 apple varieties with more than 30 of those grown in quantities that can be shipped across the country and internationally. With so many flavorful apples to choose from, why select just one? From grabbing a couple of apples to placing them in your backpack, purse, or brown lunch bag, a healthy and nutritious snack is just a bite away.”

“New York State is known for growing some of the most flavorful apples because of the rich soil and climatic conditions and abundant water,” said Haskins. “Mother Nature handpicked this state for growing tart to sweet and everything in between apples.”

When it comes to Starr Ranch Grow- ers, the company has continuously put their employees at the forefront. “Our employees are the key to all we do. They come first, middle and last,” said Dan Davis, Director of Business Development. “We’ve got a stellar group at Starr Ranch that continually drives our success from orchards to packing sheds to our sales and marketing efforts. With all things in agriculture, it takes luck and Mother Nature treating us favorably, but with the people we’ve got in place we’re well equipped to make the most of what we’re given."

Leading producer Honey Bear Growers was able to provide for its consumers and customers even in the face of various factors such as inflation or uncontrollable environmental influences that have affected the category. “A little bit of what happened this past apple season is it was a really short season— Mother Nature came into play, and we had a short crop in Washington,” said Don Roper, VP of Sales and Marketing. “So, that was really significant and when that happens, the challenge for retailers is they don’t want to lose category sales. They don’t want to lose apple sales. So, the really critically, strategically important thing is how do we make sure we have supply assurance for them during quarter one. Last fall, when that short apple crop started, that crop will go quarter one, quarter two and quarter three before we get to quarter four, next fall with the new crop. So, they are in a short crop right now, and the apple category is usually their largest category in the store. So, they are saying ‘Guys, don’t let this thing fall apart on me. Do what you need to do to get the supplies in.’ Our big thing was just supplying assurance and pulling from our multi-region sourcing and production model that allowed them to keep apples on the shelf at good retail prices and not go backwards with their apple category. So, you might not think of that as innovative, but they would look at you and say, ‘Everything we do in my company as a produce manager is based on performance,’ so that’s a big piece right there and [we] took a lot of pride in executing that.”