08/09/05 Fresh asparagus plant for Pasco

Washington Ag August 9, 2005 Los Angeles based Gourmet Trading Company, an international distributor of produce, is putting in a fresh pack asparagus plant in Pasco. The company has contracted with many producers who formerly grew for the Seneca canning plant in Dayton. Allan Nerell, vice president of packing operations for Gourmet Trading, who is moving to Washington state, says the Pasco facility is located in a building leased from Balcom and Moe that used to be a cherry plant. It will employ from 400-600 local people at the peak of the season. Nerell: "We do not run the shed on a strictly hourly base. It is a production incentive run shed where the people have an opportunity to earn substantially more money than minimum wage depending upon their production, their productivity." Nerell says equipment will be basic and initially will not utilize new technology like electronic sorting. Nerell: "We believe for this first year effort we want to be using something that is tried and proven and get our facility started. In the future as the technology improves of course we are open to anything that makes us more competitive." I'm Bob Hoff.