Washington Fruit and Produce Co. and Yakima Fresh announce partnership

Two Yakima, Washington, fruit companies with over a century of experience each announced a merger of marketing operations this week. The new partnership, Washington Fruit Sales, will merge Yakima Fresh with the Washington Fruit and Produce sales team. 

Marketing company Yakima Fresh was formerly a partnership of three Yakima-area fruit companies, but Roche Fruit is the only remaining partner. Roche Fruit will continue to operate its own farming and packing operations, bringing another packing line to the Washington Fruit Sales portfolio, according to a news release from Washington Fruit and Produce. 

Michael Roche, president of Roche Fruit, said in a statement that the “opportunity to partner with another long-term, quality-focused, family-owned organization is really unique and will resonate with our customers.”

Washington Fruit Sales also serves as the marketing partner for the Mount Adams Fruit Co.

“Along with our partners, Don and Doug Gibson at Mount Adams Fruit Co., we are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to work with Michael Roche, Steve Smith and their respective teams. We share many of the same values and philosophies, including commitment to quality and excellence in all that they do,” Tommy Hanses, CEO of Washington Fruit and Produce Co., said in a statement. “The fit between these organizations enhances our ability to serve the needs of our customers.”

—by Kate Prengaman