It only takes one person to imagine a cultural revolution.
Bill Zirkle began his revolution 50 years ago, eventually bringing forth a 100 percent family-owned, operated, and vertically integrated entity: Rainier Fruit Company.
It was the beginning of the 1970s, and Bill was working with his father, Lester Zirkle, at Zirkle Fruit Co. With strong roots in growing operations, Bill had taken over sales and marketing about five years prior and began forming his own understanding of the industry.
“Though I didn’t formally take over sales until 1965, I had worked on the family farm since childhood. I grew up in an apple orchard, and really haven’t left since then. I built on the foundation my father taught me: quality first, last, and always,” Bill shared as we sat down in the early months of 2024—Rainier’s 50th anniversary year.
Before Bill founded Rainier Fruit Sales in 1974, he and Lester marketed their fruit under the family label. They were becoming overwhelmed by the volume of their customers’ needs and started buying fruit from other growers to fill orders.
I can just picture it: Bill with a twinkle in his eye when the new idea struck, setting his revolution in motion.
“I decided to create a separate sales firm that would represent Zirkle Fruit Co. and other local grower-packers in the Yakima, Washington, area,” Bill explained, as though it were a vision that appeared to him clear as day. “This way, we could all benefit from economies of scale and provide better customer service.”
Historically, each firm had been selling its fruit as an individual entity. When the wholesale segment slowly gave way to the larger retail chains, with their own buying offices in the 1970s and ’80s, Bill saw a void in the procurement efforts Rainier could fill. Under Bill’s guidance, the company provided services as a one-stop shop of all varieties and packages available, as well as consolidated pickups for buyers, a practice which continues today.
Solidifying a great idea into revolution requires an ironclad resolve. Quality first, last, and always.
“Attention to detail and execution at all levels is how we gained a foothold in the industry. None of that is anything new, of course, but it helped us stand out,” Bill relayed. “I learned the best way to do this is to surround yourself with good people, treat them well, and let them do their jobs.”
Much to the company’s benefit, many of those good people who stepped up to carry Rainier’s legacy forward have deep family ties. Mark Zirkle is one of them.
Like his father, Mark started his career in the orchards in the winter of 1989. After a few years, he transitioned into managing apple packing production for Zirkle Fruit Co. By 2005, Mark was splitting his time between packing operations and sales. Then, in 2009, he became President of Rainier Fruit Company.
“In the time since then, a new generation of talented and dedicated employees filled the office, bringing success and growth for Rainier’s growers and orchards through partnering with best-in-class retail and wholesale customers,” Mark stated before dropping his own nugget of wisdom. “Trust in people is built on the fulfillment and execution of consistent service. It can never be less than that.”
Rainier Fruit Company’s commitment to quality and excellence in service is cultivated by its employees, more than a few of whom have made lifelong careers of their work at the company.
“There is a sense of pride and ownership that people feel when working for a family-owned business versus working in a large, corporate-owned scenario. Unity among our farms, warehouse teams, sales, and shipping really drives a constant culture of improvement—it’s the backbone of a vertically integrated operation. Rainier intends to remain a leader in this industry, and will do so with the strength of our extended and motivated family tree,” said Mark.
The height of a tree begins at its roots. What I mean by this is that for each family member at the top of that tree, there is a vein connecting them back to the early 1970s when Bill first planted the seed. The tree’s ability to thrive depended on Bill finding good ground to plant it in—both figuratively and literally.
"Unity among our farms, warehouse teams, sales, and shipping really drives a constant culture of improvement—it’s the backbone of a vertically integrated operation."
Mark Zirkle, President, Rainier Fruit Company
“There is no substitute for good land when trying to grow the best product. We’re reminded of this lesson whenever we try to deviate from it,” Mark added when I asked him about some of the most impactful moments in Rainier’s 50-year history. “Developing the capabilities to ship Honeycrisp and organic apples year-round took a lot of trial and error, but knowing the demand was there drove investment across the operation from initial growing practices to how we manage rotation. My dad says it well: We’re not a hospital. You can’t make fruit better once its harvested.”
Mark believes Rainier’s collective willingness to tackle challenges head-on is its greatest strength, which will continue to guide the company’s path forward.
“My vision for the future is to never stray from what got us here: being a leader in our industry, listening to our customers, and providing a consistent quality product,” he concluded. “If that means enhancing our product lines to meet demand for new packaging, or planting the varieties consumers are looking for, we are willing and able to do so. I imagine a consistent reinvestment in both packing and orchard capital projects will always be in our future.”
This eagerness to provide consumers and the industry with the best of the best is what makes Mark the perfect leader to carry Rainier into its next era. I imagine he learned that quality from Bill, who was taught the very same thing by his own father.
So, maybe I was wrong when I said it only takes one person to imagine a cultural revolution. In the case of Rainier Fruit Company, that resolve belongs to many.
“Fifty years! From day one, I have been impressed with the longevity of the staff from all departments of Rainier. To this day, I work alongside Diane Komstadius, an employee of 38 years! Rainier has always taken great pride in execution and customer service. I remember the story of one of the first sales managers of Rainier having a phone placed in the bathroom stall so he could get calls transferred when he left his desk. The phone in the stall no longer exists, but we have cell phones now to make sure we are always available.
In my previous career, I worked with kids and families at the local YMCA. I was lucky to find my next home with a great company in Rainier that treats and thinks of its employees like family. A few crazy uncles in the group, but every family has them. I’m excited for the great team at Rainier and what the next 50 years hold!”
“It’s no secret that creativity dies in a homogeneous group. What’s not talked about is how hard it is to nurture diversity of thought and values, harness it for growth, and produce new and exciting results. When I was hired seven years ago, the company hadn’t started this kind of work and it showed. In the last few years, an intense top-down focus on culture has transformed Rainier’s into one focused less on getting people to ‘fit in’ and more on finding ways for them to belong… It shows in the hum of collaborative energy that wasn’t here when I started. Maybe it only takes one person to imagine a cultural revolution, but it takes every person to feel accepted for a true cultural evolution. I’m proud to be part of a team that knows it’s never about just one person’s vision.”
“To me, what makes Rainier stand out is the overall investment in our people and infrastructure, while always having a long-term outlook on how we market our amazing fruit alongside the growers we represent. In my experience at Rainier, I am always so impressed with the drive we have as a collective. Rent at Rainier is due daily, and actively engaging and watching the servant leadership, collaboration, and ownership of our business makes it easy to stay excited. Always evolving and having great teammates throughout it all is a blessing. Generations of families working collectively for 50 years to find the ‘next, next,’ as well as trust, have been key to Rainier’s success.”
“The collaboration between all facets of our operation and communication in such a complicated industry has been inspiring to witness. I’ve learned in my time here that Rainier Fruit is the true definition of teamwork. The family-owned aspect truly shows in the passion, involvement, and collaboration from the top of the organization to the bottom.” 
