黑料福利社

California-based Manzana Products plans to use an abandoned Sunnyside building for a new apple processing facility that will employ 150 people, the company and local officials recently announced.

Officials with the Port of Sunnyside and Yakima County Development Association announced the development plans on Feb. 14 for the former Seneca Foods facility at 1525 S. Fourth St.

The site, not far from the Interstate 82-First Street interchange, originally housed an Independent Foods fruit processing facility, said Jay Hester, executive director of the Port of Sunnyside.

鈥淢anzana fits perfectly in our agriculture and manufacturing cluster,鈥� Hester added. 鈥淭he facility will bring family-wage jobs to Sunnyside and positively impact our community well into the future.鈥�

Jonathan Smith, executive director of the Yakima County Development Association, said the YCDA worked closely with Manzana representatives as they planned to move their operations to the 黑料福利社.

鈥淲e are grateful the company chose to locate their new facility in Sunnyside,鈥� Smith said.

Company history

Established in 1922, is an apple processor in Sebastopol, Calif. 鈥� an area near Santa Rosa known as California鈥檚 鈥淕reen Valley.鈥� It makes organic applesauce, juice, cider and vinegar products that are distributed across the United States and internationally, Manzana CEO Andy Kay stated in a news release.

Originally called Oehlmann Evaporator when it was owned by husband-and-wife team Rudolph and Maude Oehlmann, in 1945 the company changed its name to Manzana Products Company, using the Spanish word for apple.

Sebastopol is in Sonoma County, which is now one of the country鈥檚 leading wine-producing regions.

鈥淚n the 1940s and 1950s, Gravenstein apples dominated the Sonoma County agricultural landscape,鈥� the Manzana news release stated. 鈥淥ver the years, grape vines began to replace apple orchards. One by one, apple processing plants closed.

鈥淭oday, Manzana is the only plant left in Sonoma County, where 10 apple processing plants used to thrive.鈥�

Plans for Sunnyside

Kay said Manzana plans to clear the former Seneca building this year and then equip the facility to accommodate operations and house the new company headquarters.

鈥淢anzana anticipates limited production will begin in the fall of 2024 to take advantage of the apple season,鈥� the news release states. 鈥淚n 2025, Manzana will continue developing the site and will phase in production lines, with all production to operate in Sunnyside by the end of 2025.鈥�

Construction on the 275,895-square-foot building鈥檚 interior will be completed in phases and is expected to be finished within 18 to 24 months, Kay announced. The facility should be in full production by the end of 2025 with 150 employees onsite.

鈥淲ashington is the 鈥榗apital鈥� of West Coast apple production, and we look forward to being in the heart of the bountiful Washington apple orchards,鈥� Kay added.

The new Sunnyside facility will include an expansion of Manzana鈥檚 capabilities, which includes an additional pouch line for applesauce. It will include new equipment for more versatility, the company stated, such as creating the ability to produce items like variety packs of sauce in various formats.

Manzana鈥檚 Sunnyside facility will allow the company to run additional shifts to accommodate growth and expansion as needed, and is expected to create 150 agricultural jobs over the next five years as operations are phased in during the move.

鈥淲e welcome Manzana Products to Yakima County and appreciate the job opportunities this decision will provide for the people of the Lower Valley,鈥� Yakima County Commissioner LaDon Linde stated in the news release.