WENATCHEE, WA - Magic is in the air this year as PMA Fresh Summit 2016 quickly approaches. One purveyor of this enchantment is Stemilt Growers, which will be setting the stage for the show with the company’s new brands, varieties, and innovations.

Also, back this year by popular demand, is the talent of magician David Harris who has worked for more than the 300 of the Fortune 500 companies during his tenure, bringing a dynamic and unique approach to the traditional trade show experience. Harris will be speaking about Stemilt’s range of brands and exciting introductions throughout the show on both Saturday and Sunday.

Brianna Shales, Communications Manager, joined me to talk about the upcoming event and shares that the booth presentation, paired with the engaging entertainment and education, are not-to-be-missed. 

“This has been a year of growth for Stemilt as we continue to bring more value to both our retail partners and the apple and pear categories,” Brianna says. “Our vision, is to not only elevate the eating experience for the consumer, but change the expectations they may have for quality, flavor, and availability.” 

Stemilt’s new Inspiration Orchard™ branded program will be one of the main highlights at PMA Fresh Summit this year, and is truly a culmination of the company’s vision for innovation within its apple program. Growing apples is not just about those one or two new varieties you hear about in the trade, as the Stemilt team tells me, it is also deeply dependent on those anchors to a program that actually change the category. Inspiration Orchard is a consumer driven program that promotes a new perspective on apple-growing and marketing. The program will be branded, not only at retail, but also in the orchard, in the field, in Stemilt’s facilities. 

While Inspiration Orchard™ is not a physical orchard, it is a concept that creates its own geography as a vision. With the tagline, “Where Flavors Grow,” Stemilt is pulling back the curtain on all its successes, from integration of the ground, to locations, horticulturalists, research and development, and root stock.  

The new branded program will bring together some of Stemilt’s tried-and-true varieties including the Piñata®, the SweeTango® and Pink Lady apples, while also introducing some new developments in the apple category. 

New on the apple front, Stemilt is introducing a trademarked Honeycrisp program called Honeyhill™ which is focused on delivering to the consumer, a great eating experience every time. This variety responds to the need and demand to bring better quality Honeycrisp apples from later winter into the summer months with better flavor, shelf-life, and color.

Inspiration Orchard will also bring the Aztec variety into the fold, which offers a new strain of Fuji apples that Stemilt has pioneered to offer premium-quality Fuji apples year-round. 

Stemilt will also be highlighting its “There’s an Apple for That” campaign, which aims to showcase the many available apple varieties, each with their own unique flavor, texture, and cooking characteristics.

“The notion behind this program is that we have a digital site that instructs apple-lovers, or those curious and with questions about the versatility of the category, on how to use a variety for different uses and occasions,” Brianna tells me. “'There’s an Apple for That’ allows us to share our expertise with consumers and take the dialogue around apples to a whole new level.”

Stemilt is also incorporating “There’s an Apple for That” into merchandising programs at retail with display bins, apple-lover 5 lb pouch bags on several varieties, as well as bulk apple opportunities. 

One of my all-time favorite programs, Lil Snappers kid-sized fruit will also be on full-display. This year, Stemilt is introducing a complete organic apple line of Lil Snappers® Apple products available in 3 lb bags which helps keep the purchase size, and the ring, high for the best produce shoppers that enter the department. The Lil Snappers program will also tie-in Stemilt’s partnership with Sunkist Growers which has helped the brand truly take off in the citrus category. 

In addition, keep an eye out for the ever-popular Fresh Blenders program as well as Stemilt’s Rushing River Pears to raise the bar in produce departments. Check out Stemilt’s booth #2449 at Fresh Summit for even more on the company’s diverse program and innovations! 

With PMA Fresh Summit just days away, I hope you are all packed, energized, and trade show-ready!  See you all in Orlando.

Stemilt Growers