WENATCHEE, Wash. – They’re back! Stemilt will kick off the second season of its premium cherry program, Kyle’s Pick®, this week in Washington State, about a week ahead of last season’s timing. The company reserves the best cherries – premium varieties, largest sizes, and dessert flavors – for Kyle’s Pick pouch bags in July and August to help retailers differentiate premium quality and most importantly, win over consumers, who traditionally buy cherries on impulse.
Named after Stemilt co-owner and 4th generation cherry grower Kyle Mathison, Kyle’s Pick cherries were widely accepted during their launch year at retail in 2013. With greater volumes and fantastic growing conditions in 2014, the stage is set for Kyle’s Pick cherries to be an even bigger hit this summer.
“Kyle’s Pick cherries are the perfect way to keep the momentum going on cherries after the big Fourth of July holiday,” said Stemilt marketing director Roger Pepperl. “The Kyle’s Pick seal on every bag is a mark to signify the high-quality cherries inside, which consumers recognize. A great cherry eating experience turns into a second great experience, and Kyle’s Pick cherries are proven to drive repeat sales during an important time for the cherry category.”
Using its state-of-the-art electronic packing lines, Stemilt can set firmness, size, and sugar level standards in order to ensure only the best cherries make it into each Kyle’s Pick pack. The company also reserves premium varieties, including Hill Bings, Sweetheart, Skeena, and Staccato®, for Kyle’s Pick cherries. Some widely planted prominent varieties are excluded from this brand purposely because of their consumer perception in taste panels. Stemilt will continue down its path of planting cherries that will not only fit their orchard sites, but also meet consumer flavor expectations.
“Skeena cherries will be the featured variety in Kyle’s Pick bags in the coming weeks. It’s a variety that likes to grow large, firm, and has incredible dessert flavors. We’ve had prime growing conditions in Washington State this summer, which will add to the exceptional quality of Skeena and other Kyle’s Pick cherries,” said Pepperl.
Of course, the timing of the Kyle’s Pick cherry program falls right in line with the time that Mathison harvests his own crop of cherries on the legendary Stemilt Hill in Wenatchee, WA. A known leader in the cherry industry, Mathison continually strives to raise the standard for cherries in order to enhance the consumer eating experience.
“He’s a visionary who will be the first to tell you that growing cherries with world famous qualities that meet the Kyle’s Pick standards is a journey and not a destination. Kyle’s Pick cherries aren’t just a testament to the quality of cherries that Kyle grows, but a way for us to share his passion with consumers and differentiate Stemilt cherries at retail,” said Pepperl.
Stemilt will pack the random-weight Kyle’s Pick pouch bag throughout the month of July and into early August. Once Mathison begins harvesting cherries atop his high-elevation orchards, called Amigos, Stemilt will pack its second pouch bag in the Kyle’s Pick program series, called Half Mile Closer to the Moon.
Moon cherries are another unique offering of Stemilt’s. The high-elevation location of the Amigos orchard allows Mathison to harvest cherries into late August, which is also later than anyone else in Washington State. “For every 100 feet increase in vertical elevation, cherry harvest is pushed back one day,” said Kyle Mathison. “At Amigos, we’re farming cherries between 2,800 and 3,200 feet above sea level – literally a half mile closer to the moon.”
“Starting now with Kyle’s Pick cherries and then transitioning into Moon cherries in mid-August is the way to differentiate your cherry program as premium. Share the story of Kyle’s Pick cherries with your shoppers and impress them with this flavor-first program in order to boost sales,” said Pepperl.
Retailers can get more information about Kyle’s Pick cherries by contacting their Stemilt Representative.
About Stemilt
Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is a leading shipper of sweet cherries and organic tree fruits. Stemilt has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainable agriculture and social responsibility since 1989, when founder Tom Mathison launched the company’s Responsible Choice program. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com and follow Stemilt on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
Source: Stemilt