FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2008
www.stemilt.com
Contact: Roger Pepperl
Marketing Director
Responsible Choice gets a new logo
WENATCHEE, Wash.— For nearly two decades, Stemilt Growers has demonstrated its commitment to the environment through the Responsible Choice program. Now, Stemilt is introducing a new logo that symbolizes the company’s past, present, and future sustainability and social responsibility efforts.
In 1989, Stemilt founder Tom Mathison launched Responsible Choice to emphasize sustainable farming practices. He led growers to use softer pesticides and fertilizers, conserve water, and employ practices that prevent soil erosion. Stemilt added a ladybug—an icon of environmental harmony—to the company logo in 1989 as a way of highlighting the advanced program.
According to marketing director Roger Pepperl, “Tom’s forward-thinking in regards to environmental stewardship positioned Stemilt as a sustainability leader. Today, we utilize the Responsible Choice philosophy in all that we do. The new logo represents a cohesive symbol, bringing together all of our sustainability and social responsibility initiatives.”
The logo’s simple design features three parts of social responsibility. The fish and bird represent Stemilt’s long-time commitment to caring for the natural environment, while the hand and growing plant signifies their responsibility to society and future generations.
The new Responsible Choice logo will appear on program materials as well as the boxes used to pack Stemilt fruit, Pepperl said.
The company ramped up its original pledge to conservation by increasing recycling efforts and composting plant wastes. They also made modifications that help reduce energy use and started keeping track of their energy consumption.
Between August 2006 and July 2007, Stemilt recycled nearly 1.9 million pounds of cardboard.
With so many packages going in and out of warehouses each day, recycling plastic and strapping material became another priority for the Responsible Choice program, Pepperl said. Over the course of the year, Stemilt recycled 8 dumpster loads of plastic and 25 dumpster loads of strapping—preventing the materials from going into landfills.
Many of the boxes used for packing Stemilt fruit are environmentally-friendly. “We use kraft box board verses bleach board for construction of many of our boxes,” Pepperl said. “Not only is kraft board made from recycled paper but it uses less water and energy than the highly processed white bleach board.”
Stemilt grower and partner-owner, Kyle Mathison, created a 23-acre composting project on Stemilt Hill using culled fruit, fruit stems and leaves. Mathison uses the compost to feed over 1,000 acres of orchards.
The company’s efforts to conserve energy also contributed to cost savings. In the warehouses, automatic by-fold doors were installed on all cold-storage rooms creating yearly electrical savings of nearly $3,000 per door.
Stemilt successfully transitioned 50 percent of their forklifts from propane-burning units to battery-powered units. They also developed a process to recycle and reuse water on several of its Olds Station packing lines.
In October 2007, Stemilt was honored by the Association of Washington Business as one of the state’s most successful companies in the areas of resource conservation and environmental stewardship. Stemilt was one of nine companies that received the distinguished Environmental Excellence Award.
Tom Mathison’s early efforts to soften orchards practices catapulted Stemilt to become a leader in organic growing, packing, and shipping. Today, Stemilt farms over 2,000 acres of organic fruit and has a diverse organic program that includes apples, pears, cherries, and stone fruit.
Social responsibility is another primary aspect of the Responsible Choice program, Pepperl said. The company contributes to the local community through sponsorships and by participating in civic and educational activities. Stemilt has several initiatives in place that promote a sustainable workforce. The company provides its employees with health benefits, competitive wages, and a 401K savings plan.
“Responsible Choice has been a huge success at Stemilt, especially in recent years,” Pepperl said. “We remain committed to being good stewards of the land to prepare for future generations and the continued success of the tree fruit industry.”
Based in Wenatchee, Washington, Stemilt is a leading grower, packer, and shipper of premium apples, pears, and cherries and has one of the largest organic programs in the nation.