A legacy of tradition and innovation

Welch’s, based in Concord, Massachusetts, is a national household staple—filling refrigerators and pantries with its grape products for over 150 years. The well-loved brand is also a farmer-owned cooperative, working with its member-owners to turn their harvests into juice, jams, jellies and other well-loved fruity snacks.

Welch’s was established in 1869 when its first batch of grape juice was bottled in a home kitchen. Almost 85 years later, it was purchased by the National Grape Cooperative, significantly expanding the brand and its network of farmers. Today, Welch’s is nearly a $1 billion company with over 650 growers from Washington, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan who produce approximately 320,000 tons of grapes each year.

The relationship we have with our members is cohesive, much like our relationship with our partners like CoBank.

“Welch’s is an iconic brand, and we’re very proud of our history—and extremely mindful of how we can continue expanding. We’re also careful with our investments to ensure we are here for another 150 years,” said Trevor Bynum, president and CEO of Welch’s.

To safeguard its future, Welch’s recently embarked on a project to modernize its facilities, teaming up with its long-standing partner, CoBank, to finance the renovations. CoBank provided $220 million in credit facilities, including a revolver used for general corporate purposes and term debt to finance several capital expenditure projects. The projects will modernize operational infrastructure, including electric boilers that are in dire need of replacement. The new, state-of-the-art equipment will also produce more with less waste and open opportunities for new products.

“We truly embody our farmers’ way of life and respect the grapes they grow and harvest. The modernization of our facility will allow us to do that even more efficiently, while giving our members a better return on investment,” Bynum said. “CoBank has been an important partner throughout the project. We’re both cooperatives, and they understand how our cashflow works—which leads to better discussions and expedited decisions,” Bynum said.

Welch’s is rooted in tradition, with many of its member-owners operating multigenerational farms. Its mission is to continue delivering healthy and delicious products to sustain its members’ farms for future generations. And with its upgraded facility underway, Welch’s has plans to create different and exciting products—most notably, its upcoming zero-sugar line.

“We’re about to launch a new campaign coined ‘the year of zero,’ our new product line that offers bold flavors, while utilizing the same expertly grown fruit from our farmers. We’re always looking for ways to expand and reach new consumers—the more resilient we are, the better it is for our members. And in turn, it allows the communities they live in and farm to flourish,” Bynum said. “The relationship we have with our members is cohesive, much like our relationship with our partners like CoBank.”