Moses Lake, WASHINGTON (January 10, 2022) – Okanagan Specialty Fruits® (OSF), developers of innovative and delicious Arctic® apples, is pleased to announce that its parent company Third Security LLC has acquired 42.5 acres of land for development in Moses Lake, WA. One of the parcels of land will include the construction of OSF’s centralized facility for receiving, storage, processing, packing, and shipping Arctic apple products. The project’s groundbreaking took place in September and is expected to be completed and operational in mid-2023.
“We have over 1,250 acres of Arctic apple trees currently planted in Washington State, and harvest yields are ramping up quickly as our orchards come into full bearing,” explains Neal Carter, President of OSF. “With our continued growth, it makes sense to have a facility closer to our orchards, so we can optimize efficiencies, quality, and minimize transportation. We can focus on ramping up our production capabilities and delivering superior quality product to our customers.”
The development will create approximately 60 local jobs for the community once the facility is up and running, with plans for hiring opportunities to be announced later.
“This is a large-scale project that will require the use of many local vendors and service providers to bring it to fruition,” says Don Westcott, OSF’s Senior VP. “As growers, we recognize the importance of strong roots. We look forward to establishing ours in the community of Moses Lake.”
About Okanagan Specialty Fruits & Arctic Apples
Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) is a vertically integrated company specializing in the development, growing, processing, and marketing of novel tree fruit varieties developed through bioengineering. Based in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, OSF was founded in 1996 and acquired by an affiliate of Third Security, LLC in 2020. OSF’s flagship product is its Arctic apple varieties. Arctic apples provide a sustainable solution to less food waste and improved apple consumption. For consumer information, visit www.arcticapples.com; for company information and career information visit www.osfruits.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Rebecca Catlett, Director of Marketing and Communications
(250) 404-0101
[email protected]