Stemilt Growers
Encyclopedia
Stemilt Growers is a family-owned tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington
. Stemilt is the largest fresh market sweet cherry shipper in the world, and one of the nation's largest grower-packer-shippers of apple
s, pear
s, cherries, and stone fruit. The company is also a leader in organic
fruit production, producing 26% of Washington's organic apples and 32% of the Pacific Northwest
's organic pears. In 2008, the company shipped over 20 million boxes of fruit and employed 1,500 people full-time.
160 acre (0.6474976 km²) on Stemilt Hill near Wenatchee, Washington
. The family planted its first 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) of apples, pears and cherries in 1914.
By 1947, Tom Mathison, a third generation farmer, took the lead in the family orchard
business. He built a fruit packing house
on Stemilt Hill in 1961. In 1964, Tom Mathison founded Stemilt Growers and began packing fruit for other growers. In 1975, Mathison built a new packing and storage facility at Olds Station in Wenatchee, which would soon become the new company headquarters. In July 2005, Tom Mathison transferred the company presidency to his grandson, West Mathison. Tom Mathison died in 2008.
Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...
. Stemilt is the largest fresh market sweet cherry shipper in the world, and one of the nation's largest grower-packer-shippers of apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s, pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
s, cherries, and stone fruit. The company is also a leader in organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
fruit production, producing 26% of Washington's organic apples and 32% of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
's organic pears. In 2008, the company shipped over 20 million boxes of fruit and employed 1,500 people full-time.
History
Stemilt's company history dates back to 1893, when the Mathison family homesteadedHomestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
160 acre (0.6474976 km²) on Stemilt Hill near Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...
. The family planted its first 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) of apples, pears and cherries in 1914.
By 1947, Tom Mathison, a third generation farmer, took the lead in the family orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
business. He built a fruit packing house
Packing house
A packing house is a facility where fruit is received and processed prior to distribution to market.Bulk fruit is delivered to the plant via trucks or wagons, where it is dumped into receiving bins and sorted for quality and size...
on Stemilt Hill in 1961. In 1964, Tom Mathison founded Stemilt Growers and began packing fruit for other growers. In 1975, Mathison built a new packing and storage facility at Olds Station in Wenatchee, which would soon become the new company headquarters. In July 2005, Tom Mathison transferred the company presidency to his grandson, West Mathison. Tom Mathison died in 2008.