WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt will supposedly be increasing its capacity with the addition of a new pear packing line. Equipped with double the defect sorters and pear-protecting specifications, the automated machinery aims to put freshness into every box of Stemilt Rushing Rivers® pears.

“The automated pear line is expected to double our capacity,” says Facility Manager Don Reeves. “Automatic defect sorters, pear-specific belted brush beds, a bin washer, and automated baggers are all features that will help create a uniform pack. These elements help us produce high-quality pears for consumers to enjoy. The automation and increased capacity are important as we prepare for future volume growth on pears.”

On the new line, pears run through two automated defect sorting cameras with a unique ability to flip the pears over carefully in cups to see a 360 view of the pear. According to a press release, automatic belted brush beds can also be adjusted depending on the delicacy of the pears. Also, a new bin washer will clean bins after every run to save time in production.

“The most automation to be added to the new pear line is the bagging and sorting process,” says Reeves. “Automatic bin fillers are going to help us put fruit back into our controlled atmosphere rooms when packing fresh to order.”

To maximize freshness, packed boxes of pears coming from the new pear line will ride on a conveyor belt straight to cold storage at Stemilt’s Fresh Cube distribution center to ensure the fruit cools quickly.

“The first thing this line is going to prioritize is quality,” says Reeves. “We’ll have less hands on the fruit and a great cold chain going from the packing line all the way to storing which will help as it gets later in the season. The line’s automation shows potential for adding new varieties because we can increase tonnage with our new sorting technology.”

Along with automation, the new line is almost three times the size of Stemilt’s former pear packing line, the release noted. The larger space allows for a box mezzanine area and will be able to be expanded for consumer packaging in the future.

We can’t wait to see the new packing line in action!