Tree Top - News Media

Board Chair and Board Member Elections Announced

Selah, Wash.— Ed Kershaw, Yakima, has been re-elected chairman of the Tree Top Board of Directors at the board meeting in conjunction with the Cooperative’s November annual meeting held in Wenatchee.

Petitioned and elected to the Board in 2004, Kershaw has served as the Board’s chairman for the past year. Kershaw is a fourth generation grower, shipper, and marketer from Yakima, Washington. He is Vice President of the family-operated Kershaw Companies that incorporate vertically integrated growing, packing, and marketing. Kershaw also serves as CEO of Domex Superfresh Growers, the marketing arm of Kershaw Companies. Domex Superfresh Growers represents Northwest growers and shippers to the global marketplace. Kershaw is past Chairman of the Northwest Horticultural Council and the Washington Apple Commission and is a former trustee of the US Apple Association. He also currently serves as a board member of the Produce Marketing Association. For his industry service, Kershaw has been recognized by The Packer publication with two honors; the 1999 “Apple Person of the Year” award and he was named one of the "Top 25 Produce People" in 2008. Kershaw has served on the Board of Directors for the Yakima Chamber of Commerce, Providence Hospital, and Pioneer National Bank. A native of Yakima, Kershaw received his B.A. in Economics in 1961 from the University of Washington in Seattle, followed by a tour of duty in the US Army.

Also re-elected as board officers were Randy Smith of Cashmere, WA, vice chairman, and Mike Smith, Yakima, secretary treasurer.

In addition to election of board officers, four board positions also were filled during the annual board member election process, and the results were announced during the meeting. Re-elected for additional three year board member terms were Ray Colbert of Oroville, Dick Cowin of Wapato, Randy Smith of Cashmere and Ray Keller, Yakima.

The Cooperative’s Annual Meeting was held in Wenatchee on November 16. According to the cooperative’s by-laws, it is held alternately in Yakima and Chelan counties.

Tree Top is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 1,100 apple and pear growers in the Pacific Northwest. Tree Top takes the fruit from its growers’ orchards to provide premium, quality juices, fruit-based products and ingredients to consumers and to most of the world’s leading food and beverage manufacturers. With eight processing facilities in the heart of Washington’s apple country, Oregon and California, Tree Top leads the fruit processing industry by offering the widest array of fruit-based products and solutions.

Tree Top Donates $250,000 to Support WSU's Tree Fruit Programs

PULLMAN, Wash. – With the express goal of supporting Washington’s tree fruit industry, Tree Top Inc. is investing $250,000 in tree fruit research, teaching and extension programs at Washington State University.

“Tree Top’s participation in the Campaign for Washington State University is first and foremost about reinforcing the industry’s investment in WSU,” said Tree Top CEO Tom Stokes, referring to the tree fruit industry’s recent approval of a $27 million self-assessment to support WSU tree fruit programs. “It is our way of affirming our ongoing support of the industry and its long-term prosperity.”

Dan Bernardo, dean of the WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, said the gift will help to further cement a margin of excellence in tree fruit programs.

“This investment underscores the industry’s commitment to the value of quality research, extension and teaching, and represents one of the first major contributions by the business partners of tree fruit growers throughout the state,” he said. Specifically, the funds will support research orchard development, modern fruit handling and storage equipment and facilities, and scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students working in areas related to the industry.

Tree Top is a grower-owned cooperative established in 1960 in Selah, Wash., and is recognized as one of the world’s leading producers of tree fruit products, such as juice, apple sauce, packaged apples and dried ingredients.

Last December, WSU announced it is in a $1 billion comprehensive fundraising effort: “The Campaign For Washington State University: Because the World Needs Big Ideas.” To date, generous donors, businesses and organizations have committed more than $638.2 million to the Campaign for WSU to increase support for the university’s students, faculty, research and extension programs and to leverage the university’s impact across the state, nation and world.

Allied industry members have made additional gifts of over $500,000 in support of tree fruit research at WSU, and efforts will continue to secure an additional $10 million in gifts from other businesses associated with the tree fruit industry over the next year.