This is a CHUKAR OPERATIONS update from rural Prosser in Washington cherry country. It’s an interesting time for food and confectionery manufacturers of all sizes. Considered ‘essential’, food processing continues. Yet, most everything has changed inside any manufacturing facility.

Health, safety, and business operations are updated daily, team members retrained. Despite taking the generally recognized precautions (temperature checks upon arrival every morning, wearing of face masks and gloves, physical distancing, hand-washing, and intense sanitation procedures) the consequences of COVID means new challenges on a daily basis.

For instance, our initial challenges at our headquarters involved the immediate acquisition of extra masks and gloves, which we sourced through the ingenuity of general manager Tim Oten. When we implemented safe distancing on our production lines, we had to rethink our procedures and reorganize our equipment and tables. Our office staff, typically a close-knit team, had to adjust to working from home and opening new lines of virtual communication.

Chukar is fortunate to have committed managers in both operations and compliance. Regardless of the problems that arise, Chukar’s team is on top of the problem.

JOY in the TIME of COVID

Chukar has the BEST of Customers. They are doing their utmost to keep our team and company alive and kicking COVID. Our loyal customers are supporting Chukar like never before and we’re shipping gifts to family, friends, and clients throughout the USA. Chukar customers value that all things CHUKAR are grown here, made here, using local Washington cherries. Chukar’s product top sellers are everything from no sugar added cherry & nut energy snacks to granola and jam, from chocolate-covered cherries & nuts to care packages and special gifts. It’s our customers that are keeping Chukar Cherries alive—and we pass on the blessings to our Prosser team, our rural community, the Chukar team in Seattle’s Pike Place Market and its’ surrounding community. Our aim is to take good care of one another and keep doing our jobs.

PS: In my next blog entry, let’s discuss Chukar in Seattle's Pike Place Market