Oregon Cherries Expanding

Oregon Cherries Expanding. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Two new employees have been added to the Oregon Cherry Growers staff that will help the industry improve products and sales. Tim Ramsey, Oregon Cherry Growers President and CEO.

RAMSEY: During our strategic planning process areas that we identified for growth areas are really within the ingredient channel of our business and so we went out and recruited Don Bachouros who has got an extensive background in fruit ingredient sales. As we look at our sales and really beyond cherries into other berries how can we continue to add value to the cooperative by finding increasingly really higher value for the fruit that our growers entrust us with.

He says it’s really about growing and diversifying beyond the normal categories where you find cherries.

RAMSEY: We really have been placing a tremendous amount of focus and energy on that diversification and growth and so we brought Don in from the sales side and we brought Matt Gillespie in on the marketing side and it really in the area that Matt will be focusing on is really new product development and product expansion.

They are excited about the new prospects.

RAMSEY: Matt is an exceptional project manager and product manager when it comes to working with R&D to develop new products. Identify the areas and gaps where new products can fill that gap and the working with our R&D team to develop those products and bring them to market.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.