By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer
June 27, 2007

Gorge Delights expects to produce almost one million fruit bars this year – a big move for a company that started out in a home kitchen.

One of the firm’s new clients is Wild Oats Natural Marketplace. The shelves of these Northwest stores will soon be stocked with the healthy snacks created by two Hood River Valley farming families.

An unexpected market has also opened up for the business in the so-called “nutricutical” field. Of late, firms such as FruitFast of Michigan have contracted with Gorge Delights to fold vitamin supplements into snack bars.

“We’ve learned through the school of hard knocks and, luckily, we’ve survived the lessons,” said Gary Willis, CEO and operations manager.

The Pine Grove orchardist believes the bars are growing in popularity because they are low fat and free of sodium additives and processed sugars.

“We don’t know yet how big these markets will be – but we’re excited about the possibilities,” said Willis. “We’re doing everything that we can to cater to the fitness market.”

He said the recent retail interest in Gorge Delights is sometimes hard to internalize. For years, Willis and his sales manager, Don Stevens, have been convincing companies to try the bars – and now they are being asked for samples.

“The business is now making its own way. We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Willis.

Joining him in the business partnership are: Mike Goe, transportation supervisor; Mike Willis, delivery coordinator; Ken Goe, machinery specialist; and Rick Willis, financial investor.

Six years ago, Gorge Delights began with an idea by the Goes and Willises to market sliced fruit from their apple and pear orchards. The growers believed foreign trade laws had reduced their ability to make a living working the land. So, they decided to supplement their income with a ready-to-eat product that was packaged in the Willis kitchen on Van Horn Drive.

The slices were dipped in a solution of Vitamin C and calcium to prevent oxidation and packed in a resealable plastic container. Rosauers grocery store in the Heights became the test market.

“Rosauers gave us a real start in the local area and I can’t thank them enough,” said Willis.

Soon, the demand for fruit slices was outpacing production and the operation moved into the Pine Grove Grange. Along with 4- and 8-ounce individual packages, Gorge Delights began providing area restaurants with 2 1/2 –pound bags of fresh sliced fruit.

Thousands of pieces of sliced pears and apples from the Hood River Valley are now sold by the company to Portland-metro schools each year.

Somewhere during the early months of production, the fledgling firm began working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The two entities wanted to create a pear bar, a natural food made from pureed pears that contain the nutritional equivalent of two whole pears. Within a short period of time, the government agency had helped the small business develop a proprietary recipe, along with machinery that could produce the bar in high volume.

In 2003 Gorge Delights relocated to a 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in North Bonneville, Wash. The large plant provides plenty of space for the 11 employees to work – and room to grow.

Willis said Gorge Delights purchases the majority of its purees and concentrates from the Northwest. These ingredients are added to apples and pears from the valley’s orchards in a flavorful blend.

Gorge Delights, by the end of the year, will have all of its products under the colorful “Just Fruit” label already used on apple bars. The design was created by Julie Stevens, who is also the office manager.

Under the watchful eye of Lauriel Hutson, the production manager from Hood River, about 25-30,000 bars are turned out every work day. The available flavors are: pear, pear/cranberry, pear/blueberry, apple, apple/blueberry, apple/cherry and apple/raspberry.

Willis said United Natural Foods, Inc. buys the bulk of the bars and distributes them to retail outlets as far away as Idaho. He believes that one day Gorge Delights will be in stock across the country.

In fact, the fruit bars might soon surface in the Middle East and at military bases around the world. Washington State Sen. Patty Murray is working with Gorge Delights to get the nutritional bars incorporated into military meals.

“We have capabilities to build five million bars per year – and we’re hoping to get there,” said Willis.

In the near future, Gorge Delights’ bars will be sold in two sizes. The 40 gram bar has proven difficult to dispense from vending machines. So, a 25 gram option has been introduced to meet that need and be served with school lunches.