After almost 40 years as a major pear canner, Truitt Brothers of Salem, Oregon, is “bowing out” of the business in order to help the industry consolidate. The company is no longer processing pears, and its 50 growers will instead take their fruit to Northwest Packing Company (part of the Neil Jones Company) in Vancouver, Washington, starting with the 2012 crop. This is Plan B, says company President Peter ­Truitt. Plan A was to acquire the business of Snokist Growers, Inc., in Yakima, Washington, which has gone through bankruptcy proceedings. Truitt made an offer to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of […]