Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/473131
14 MARCH 15, 2015 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Gardner said he faced a new challenge of working with two separate family-owned companies that were very proud, independent entities and shepherding them through the process of talking about partnering with each other and helping to make it happen. "This is fairly unique to the industry," he said. "There have been partnerships on lines before, but they've oper- ated the line independently. To really put a partnership together and have one management team is a big step for a family-owned business." Gardner said the management structure is much more cost effective than what Valley Fruit and Larson could have done on their own. "That's what's driving this—efficiencies at the man- agement and overhead level and at the production level," Verbrugge added. New facility To house the new packing line, the companies are combining two old packing rooms at Valley Fruit's plant into one 86,700 square-foot facility. The 550-foot long, 10-lane line will feature the latest technology from Greefa, including internal defect and firmness detection, and peripheral equipment from United Sales Inc. in Yakima. It will have a capacity of 600 bins per extended shift and will be ready for the 2015 crop. To ensure food safety, water in the dump tank will be kept separate from flume water. The line will have a long brush bed to make sure apples are washed thoroughly, and a new floor has been installed for easy cleaning. The line will be gentler on the fruit as well as faster and is designed to handle a plethora of new packaging types, including mesh bags and pouches. "We've tried to set up the line to handle as many packaging types as we see coming at us, and we invested heavily in that technology," Gardner said. ® LLC Simply Sustainable. Always Effective. 1.888.273.3088 | biosafesystems.com BioSafe Systems Protects Your Investment Crop Protection, Water Treatment, Organic Solutions and Post-Harvest Treatments. "That's what's driving this— ϔ and overhead level and at the Ǥdz —Peter Verbrugge TJ MULLINAX/GOOD FRUIT GROWER The new $17 million, 86,700-square-foot apple packing facility now under construction will be ready for the 2015 crop.