Meet The Family Behind Wenatchee’s Fruit Powerhouse

This story begins in 1890, when Wenatchee was gaining recognition as a growing town with numerous natural and business resources.

"This charming valley, located at the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers, is surrounded by...fruit lands and a climate that make it the land of peaches and vines. This valley is destined to become the scene of the greatest activity... Now is the time to buy. Property is rapidly advancing in value" - The Spokane Daily Chronicle (circa 1890)

 

The founder of Stemilt arrived as a homesteader.

Thomas Cyle Mathison said Stemilt Hill reminded him of Scotland and was moved to purchase a massive plot in 1893.

The family’s deed to the 160 acres required that they farm it.

Initially, the family farmed enough food to sustain themselves and had a surplus of wheat to sell, thereby making a living. Thomas soon became a founding partner of the Stemilt Creek Irrigation Company - a great idea that soon set the stage for the family’s first orchards.

Stemilt’s World Famous Fruit officially took root in 1914

That was the year Thomas Cyle Mathison planted the family’s first 10 acres of apples and pears, setting into motion an institution that would eventually feed the world.

Stemilt Orchards Chapter Two

In 1926, Thomas Mathison’s son, Chris Mathison, took over the farm. He and his wife, A.J., gave birth to twins, Helen and Tom (TK), in 1926.

Tragedy struck in 1947, and hard times followed.

The family patriarch, Chris Mathison, died tragically in a farming accident, and Tom, just home from serving in World War II, took over. The first dozen years were hard. The family business barely got by.

But something remarkable happened.

Tom married Lorraine Goldy in 1950, and soon their family expanded with the births of Bob, Kyle, and Lavonne in the early 1950s. 

The business hit rock bottom in 1958

That year’s cherry crop was a disaster.

Lorraine’s egg-selling business not only saved the family, but her directness with Tom, urging him to "right the ship" or find a job to support the family, spurred him to find solutions.

Lessons learned from Italian Farmers in California

In 1959, Tom Mathison traveled to the East Coast with his cherry crop and discovered that his fruit deliveries couldn’t survive the long trip. After consulting with successful Italian farmers in California, he eventually learned that he needed to pack his fruit. And in turn, he packed fruit for neighboring orchards.

The idea of self-packing kick-started Stemilt's modern era, as the Stemilt Growers' fruit-packing business was established in 1964.

A Great decision was followed by more great decisions

• 1975: Tom Mathison built an apple, pear, and cherry packing and storage facility at Olds Station.
• 1982:  Tom became the first to place stickers on apples.
• 1989: Tom revolutionized the way fruit pests were addressed and converted Stemilt’s first apple orchards to organic production. 
• 1989: Tom believed packaging cherries in bags was a bright idea borrowed from the candy world!
• 2005: At the age of 79, Tom passed on the company to his grandson, West Mathison (Kyle’s oldest son).

• 2008: West debuts the  Piñata variety. Stemilt’s first trademarked apple was introduced to grocery stores in 2008. Stemilt has since introduced its own SweeTango and Rave apples. They also trademarked their own Skylar Rae cherry.
• From 2013 to the present day: Stemilt has chosen to invest in its hard-working employees and their families with free on-site Stemilt Family Clinics and pharmacies. They also debuted “The Fresh Cube,” a state-of-the-art automated distribution center that also houses Stemilt’s pear ripening center. Stemilt also became the first grower to earn the Equitable Food Initiative certification, which trains and develops cross-functional leadership teams to improve for decades to come.