Harry & David

The Company began in 1910 when Samuel Rosenberg purchased Cornice Pear Orchards in Southern Oregon after encountering the orchards pears at the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. Rosenberg renamed the farm to Bear Creek Orchards after the creek that ran through the property.

Interestingly, local activists have created a greenway that runs along the Bear Creek. We have biked the vast majority of the greenway over the last several days. The greenway connects Ashland Oregon to Central Point, with another greenway along the Rouge River to extend it all the way to Grants Pass.

In 1914, Rosenberg’s sons Harry and David took over management of the property after their father’s death. The sons came up with the idea of selling their Royal Riviera Pears by mail order, and the current Harry & David structure was started. Soon, Royal Riviera Pears were not only being consumed all over the US, but in all Europe as well.

We toured the manufacturing plant and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We saw how Moose Munch is made, which made the Woman almost explode. The only thing that made the Woman creep out a bit was when she saw the cubic yard of butter dropped into the cement mixer that blends the Moose Munch.

We watched them make truffles. We also visited the bakery in which they were making cinnamon wraps – massive cinnamon rolls that are frozen, but heat up nicely in a micro wave.

We learned that they have cracked the code on how to store pears, chocolates and bakery items. The pears are harvested mostly in September. By allowing them to ripen slowly in refrigerated warehouses they reach their peak edibility right around the Christmas season. That’s how they are able to bulk up their emplo

yee base to 8,000 in the 4^th quarter and ship the thousands upon thousands of gifts demanded.

The corporate headquarters were built for the world’s fair in the 1930’s, and remain the iconic symbol of the company even today. Although the company has been owned by 5 different corporate owners since Harry and David Rosenberg passed (currently owned by 1-800 Flowers), the tradition continues.

Talk to you soon!