The PVM Quality Team works closely with licensed Cosmic Crisp® packers and when we see a company that takes quality seriously, we want to share their example with the industry. We recently visited the packing facilities of Allan Bros., Inc., a 100-year-old tree fruit company based in Naches, Washington, USA and talked with Tony Garcia, the Director of Operations.
We asked Garcia why focusing on quality over quantity makes good business sense. He said, “Club varieties really have a leg up in this area of the business. When a brand consistently delivers high quality produce, and even exceeds the consumer’s expectations, then consumers and retailers pay attention. They are more motivated to purchase that brand again. So maintaining high quality is critical for us and our sales partner in getting repeat purchases and sustaining maximum revenue over the long-term.”
The focus on quality at Allan Bros. is seen throughout their entire operation. Monitors located all along the production line display a dashboard with their key QC metrics. “We have around 8 different inspection points throughout the receiving, packing, and shipping process combined,” explained Garcia. “And we have been investing in new technology to automate our sorting and grading processes. For example, in 2019, we upgraded our hybrid line and recently added AI capabilities to further increase accuracy and improve defect sorting.” The current system uses LUCAi™, which combines digital imaging systems with deep learning models and can automatically detect and classify defects in real-time.
Garcia also highlighted the benefits of their collaboration with PVM’s Quality Team. “The on-site packout visits, reference materials for brand quality standards, and comparison reports from across the industry that PVM provides, all of this help us with our end goal of finding ways to improve the quality and return for our growers.”
We encourage all licensed packers to reach out to our Quality Team to find out what they can do to improve and maintain high quality packouts. When everyone in the industry works to improve quality, then consumers purchase more, sales desks get higher prices, growers see better returns, and everyone in the value chain benefits.
All photos courtesy of Allan Bros., Inc.
