Washington Fruit Growers heads into the new year with new orchard leadership.
The Yakima-based company, which has orchards across the Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin, announced that Dan Plath, co-owner and president of the orchard division, will retire in early 2026.
Darrin Belton, vice president of the orchard division, will assume the role of president. In addition, Robin Graham is being promoted to vice president, and Gilbert Plath is transitioning from field staff to farm area management, according to a news release from Washington Fruit.
Dan Plath retires after 23 years with the family-owned company, a tenure that included modernizing farming practices and crop load management, adopting new technologies, and service to the industry. He and his family were honored as Good Fruit Grower’s Growers of the Year in 2018.
“Dan’s contributions to Washington Fruit and the Washington tree fruit industry at large are immense. He has an incredible skill to both dig into the details and at the same time stay focused on the big picture,” said Tommy Hanses, CEO of Washington Fruit, in a statement. “He has been an amazing partner for me to work with, and I will sorely miss Dan!”
Plath extended his thanks to the Washington Fruit team and industry colleagues.
“I am truly appreciative of the opportunity to spend my career working with an incredible team to grow a product that people love,” he said. •
