05/12/05 Another marketing collaberation

Mark Holtzinger says everything is going fine so far with the long-term sales agreement reached earlier this month between his company and Snokist Growers. HOLTZINGER: The Snokist board & they have been great people to work with. They ask some good questions. They recognize the value of having a larger scope and presence in the marketing of cherries, and apples, and other fruits. The President and C.E.O. of Holtzinger Fruit Company might be understating things as the Holtzinger / Snokist agreement, along with existing marketing deals, makes Holtzinger's one of the largest fresh fruit packers, shippers, and marketers in the Northwest. HOLTZINGER: We've worked with Oregon Cherry Growers and have recently formed an alliance with them, Cherrylink, and we'll be entering a third year of an agreement to market their fruit. So with Oregon Cherry Growers and Snokist Growers and Holtzinger Fruit Growers, we will have a pretty substantial amount of the fresh cherry business out of the Northwest and we're really excited about it. And yes Holtzinger is quick to point out that joint agreement between his company and Snokist is yet the most recent of such consolidation in the fruit marketing aspects of the industry. HOLTZINGER: The consolidation that has gone on in retail has certainly forced our hand. And so we will again be part of responding to what our customers are doing. HOLTZINGER: Both Oregon cherry growers and Snokist, and Holtizingers, have had a good presence in the international market. And having all three of us marketing out of one desk certainly gives us more discipline and allows us to provide more products for our customers.