VANCOUVER, B.C. — With its sights on both the local market and opportunities overseas, The Oppenheimer Group announces an exclusive new grower partnership.
Blue Mountain Growers, Inc. of Milton-Freewater, Ore. packs apples, cherries, plums, and Italian prunes in the historic Blue Goose and Blue Ore labels, which will be marketed by Oppenheimer in the coming season.
Blue Mountain Growers produces in three climatically diverse but adjacent regions: the Walla Walla Valley, Grande Ronde Valley and the Columbia Basin.
“This well-established grower group has a very good reputation for quality and is well-situated geographically,” said John Anderson, chairman, president and CEO. “And their fruit mix fits our strategy very well. Together, we can serve export customers with a greater range of items, while also delivering a ‘grown in Oregon’ program for retail customers looking for locally produced fruit in season.”
The Blue Mountain program will begin with cherries in June, followed by plums, prunes, and ultimately Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold and Red Delicious apples harvesting in the late summer.
“We at Blue Mountain Growers, Inc. are extremely pleased with this newly formed alliance,” said General Manager Justin E. Brunson. “The opportunity to reach new markets, both domestic and export, through the efforts of Oppenheimer will hold us in good stead, long term.”
The partnership with Blue Mountain adds critical mass to Oppenheimer’s Pacific Northwest offerings, which also include ENZA JAZZ™, Pacific Rose™ and ENVY™ apples grown throughout Eastern Washington, and Orchard View Farms cherries from the Dalles, Ore. These items serve as the core of Oppenheimer’s U.S.-grown fruit export program, which reaches across Asia, and are also popular domestically, Anderson said.
Blue Mountain Growers is helping tell the story of Oregon and Washington products and showcasing the diversity of the growing region on its recently launched new website, www.bluemountaingrowers.com.
Source: The Oppenheimer Group