Success Story: Dries Orchard

Company description: Dries Orchards Inc. is a retail and wholesale orchard and shop in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, with satellite locations at various farmers markets and produce stands in a tri-county area. In addition to fresh produce items, they offer a wide selection of jams, teas, honey, cider, baked goods, and candies at their store and produce stands.

Problem/issue that required assistance: Dries Orchards wanted business assistance and how to sell to the government.

Solution/outcome & future potential: In March 2015, the Bucknell University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) guided Dries Orchards in financial analysis and market-growth strategies, and then referred them to the SEDA-COG Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) to advise them on how to do business with the federal government, particularly focusing on selling produce to the federal prison system. PTAC staff annually assists Dries Orchards with their System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Dries Orchards needs to be registered in SAM so they can continue to respond to request for quotes for supplying produce to the Federal Correction Complex in Allenwood and U.S. Penitentiary in Lewisburg.

Over the last three years, the SBDC has continued to engage Dries Orchard with its specialty Engineering Development Services and connected them with collaborators from the Colleges of Engineering and Management at Bucknell University.

Because of the continued assistance from the Bucknell SBDC and SEDA-COG PTAC, Dries Orchards provided quotes for fruit to the Federal Correction Complex in Allenwood and U.S. Penitentiary in Lewisburg. In 2017, Dries Orchards received awards in the amount of $47,997 from Lewisburg Penitentiary and $25,016 from the Federal Correction Complex in Allenwood. The assistance also has given the company resources that have helped them in product development, manufacturing process, and energy efficiency improvements.