United Apple Sales in Lyndonville adds business development manager
Provided photo: James Williams has joined United Apple Sales and HH Dobbins as business development manager.
Press Release, United Apple Sales in Lyndonville
LYNDONVILLE – A new face will be joining the United Apple team for the 2023/24 season. James Williams has joined the Lyndonville-based grower, packer and shipper as business development manager.
Williams is bringing a diverse background in the produce industry. Previously a business development manager at Intergrow Greenhouses and a produce merchant at Sam’s Club in Bentonville, AR, James has experience from tropicals, to grapes and potatoes to tomatoes.
“Growing up on the family farm here in upstate NY where we primarily did potatoes and onions, I was always drawn towards the small orchard part of our farm,” he said. “Choosing your production system and the varieties you are betting on for the next 25 years, and then year in and year out catering towards the needs of those trees to make it harvest you’ve been working towards. The commitment has to be there day in and day out. I’m excited to officially enter the tree fruit industry, and to work with and learn from our 50-plus grower partners here in New York and abroad!”
His primary tasks will be in the sales and marketing arena, but Williams also will be working with Justin Whipple, the grower operations manager, on grower relations. They will be communicating customer wants and needs, stressing importance of quality and planning out future varietal programs.
“The great thing is James is a new grower himself,” said Brett Baker, United Apple President. “He and his wife Jamie planted about 25 acres to start out their own orchard, so James has a horse in the race as well. This will give him the ability to experience and feel the challenges on the grower end while working with our retail and wholesale customers.”
The 2023 growing year has certainly presented some challenges here in New York. A mid-May frost hit much of the 3 growing regions here in New York State.
“Most areas were past bloom at the point the frost rolled in, but some were fruitlets froze off and some finishing issues becoming apparent later on,” Baker said. “On years like this it certainly goes to show the importance of our partnerships in other production regions in North America. Our Pacific Northwest Office manned by Josh Turnstall keeps United abreast to the outlook of the Washington crop, what varieties are going in and sets up strategic details with west coast shippers. Our production alliances in Michigan will also play a key part is this upcoming crop year. Although our bread and butter is here in New York, our main objective is to offer consistent quality and availability, year in and year out for our growing customer base.”
United Apple Sales is a leading northeast grower, packer, shipper and marketer of domestic apples, pears and cherries. The company has deep roots in the agricultural market starting with its initial farm in 1905. Over the past 11 decades, it has evolved into an integrated produce company that also has import and export capabilities to offer full-year supply assurance and merchandising services to retail, wholesale, and canning and juicing companies. United Apples is a member of a select group of orchardists growing new apple varieties: EverCrisp, RubyFrost and SnapDragon.
HH Dobbins produces over 1 million finished 40-pound cases of apples annually. The business employs 60 local associates and works with over 50 NY growers.
