Growers and Packers

"These people, who have been consistently putting apples in our pies, have survived a Depression, when pear prices dropped to $15.00 a ton and apples brought but little more. They survived the severe early freeze of 1935, and two world wars. Acreage went from tens to hundreds, and then thousands of dollars, and production from boxes to bins to trainloads."

People who made Yakima History (1978), by Gary L. Jackson

The Northwest  fruit industry has been tenaciously built up over time by  those who  grow, process and market locally grown fruit. Here is a brief look at some of those firms.


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Washington Fruit and Produce

Washington Fruit was incorporated in 1916 by Fred B. Plath to grow, pack and ship apples, pears and peaches from the Yakima Valley. In the 1950s they  started growing cherries for fresh packing, as well. Today the company is still family owned and operated, growing and marketing apples, pears, cherries and wine grapes throughout Eastern Washington and Northern Oregon. Washington Fruit and Produce also sells for Underwood Fruit and Hansen Fruit. 

Independent Brand and Majestic are two labels that were used by Washington Fruit and Produce.
















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Stubbs Fruit and Storage

Frank Stubbs and Glen Williams opened the Stubbs-Williams Fruit company in 1919  as a commercial packing establishment, which only packed fruit grown by others. In 1920 the name was changed to  Stubbs Fruit & Storage Company.  Within 5 years the company had built extensive cold storage facilities.  Frank Stubbs retired in 1953, and the business was closed.






Growers and Packers