Snokist packs it in.
Key quote
Observers said the fresh side of Snokist's business became a victim of significant changes in the growing and packing industry that now require handling large volumes of fruit to meet the demands of worldwide buyers.
Snokist, with its growers having smaller acreages, struggled to compete.
"This is the end of an era for a quality company," said Keith Mathews, manager of the Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association. "There are, in fact, tremendous pressures on smaller growers to stay competitive."
Des O'Rourke, an agricultural economist and now owner of a firm that analyzes global fruit marketing trends, said the cooperative model is a difficult one to sustain in the current economic environment.
"Snokist has a legacy of having a lot of small growers. They have had a difficult time over the last few years," O'Rourke said. "The integrated packer-shippers have been able to develop the new orchards and get into supplying higher-value apples."
8 comments:
This company deserves what is coming towards them. I was a supervisor for this company for five years and one they decided to take our health insurance way and the next thing we know we were without a job all of this happened in less then one week. We were in strike for almost a year when they gave us our job back. It was not the same. The company was split in two. You had the once that were on strike and the other ones that stay and did our jobs. We used to call them scabs. We could not see each other in the eyes. That why I left because I was not ready or welling to be like them even though they promise me that I was going to be a supervisor for a long time. I was smarter then that and left right before my shift started.
It is really the pits a company that has been around for so long dies out. Whether it was because of greed or stiff compition, it's still a loss for the area. If one big company gains control of the fruit business it may soon cost $3.00 per apple. Without compition monopoly can and will happen. Sure the big corporations will be happy but those in low wage jobs wont be eatting apples.
Hmmm. Monopoly. That makes a little more sense to me to look at it when called monopoly...I am more farmilliar with the game than I am economics. Now the game will have new meaning next time I play!!
Well monopoly is when there is only one person or company owning everything. And thats the goal of Monopoly... so it should make sense. lol
I to have a personal connection with the company, both my parents have worked there in the past. Three years ago during the summer my brother and I had my our own chance to work there. If was okay work, but what we hated to do was having to stay afterwards if we wanted to get overtime. It was like two in the morning I believe, when we got out of work. We would decide to stay longer sometimes to earn more money. We had to sweep the ENTIRE warehouse and search for wandering cherries and pick them all up. There was water everywhere and we got so dirty and wet. Now that I look back at it, I'm glad I did it not for the money because we got close to nothing for it, but for the experience.
There's a Snokist warehouse in Naches. Well, there was. It's since been transformed into the ever-expanding Allan Brothers' newest storage site (though, I wish that they'd just demolished the SOB as it's a waste of space and an eyesore on the already-ugly town).
I think that all warehouse work, however, is strenuous. I worked at Allan Brothers during apple season my freshman year in HS and during cherry season for three consecutive cherry seasons. I, too, am glad that I was able to have the experience because it's motivated me to aspire for more. There are people at Allan Brothers, and every other fruit co. for that matter, who actually work in the warehouse year long and for a living. During cherry season, people for the night shift would start at 9 or 10 in the evening and not finish until 7 or 8 in the morning, just to be late for their day job.
This is really sad that Snokist might have to close. I don't like it when the small businesses have to leave because they can no longer afford to stay.
It's really to bad this company had to go out. Its always nice to see companies and hear our valley recognized in other states or countries. Makes me feel like im not from a nothing area.
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