In 1991, Appeeling Fruit, Inc. was solely a processor of fresh bakery apples with no extended shelf life. The company started selling to bakeries throughout the northeast United States and with the help of a small group of employees, and family members they built a sustainable business supplying those bakeries.
After eight successful years providing bakery slices, Appeeling Fruit saw opportunity in the fresh market. Fresh sliced and packaged products were rare at the time, and technology and treatments were in their infancy. Through trial and error, and a few key development partnerships, Appeeling Fruit launched what is now known as “Fresh Sliced Apples”. Knowing this product would be a success; Steve Cygan began marketing fresh sliced apples in the fall of 1998.
Clients include grocers like Giant Food Supermarkets and Wegmans Food Markets account for 29 % of gross company sales and a large amount of sales are through school lunch programs.
In 2009 with the help of $816,000 in financing through Greater Berks Development Fund (GBDF), Appeeling Fruit made a move that would define it for the next decade to come. Riding on the success of the fresh sliced market and the drive for more production and space, the company moved from its original factory in Blandon, PA to a 23,000-square foot state of the art facility located in Dauberville, PA. Additionally, In 2014, GBDF was able to provide an additional $300,000 for more equipment purchases to accommodate more growth in company sales.