Washington fruit leaders Sage Fruit were the first to gain the benefits of Hectre’s Spectre Top Down technology while also playing a key role in its development.
”"With Hectre's Spectre Top Down app, we can capture size data on more than 5,000 apples from just one truck pass as it pulls into receiving. That delivers a massive increase in our size and color sampling where reliable data is crucial.”
Nicole Gordy Director of Business Analytics at Sage Fruit
A vertically integrated company, Sage Fruit grows, packs, and ships mostly apples, pears, and cherries, grown across several thousand acres of land in Washington State and parts of Oregon. They began using Spectre hand-held, Hectre’s mobile fruit sizing app that quickly sizes fruit bins in the packhouse or orchard, from just a standard iPad, in 2021.
The team at Sage quickly recognized the value of the tech, which made them wonder if it could be used to size fruit on a much larger scale to gain even more accurate data and to keep up with the steady stream of trucks arriving at their receiving sites.
”"Our team identified the advantages of Hectre's fruit sizing Spectre technology early on and have partnered closely with them throughout its evolution. Gaining size and color data at the earliest point in our process means we can arm our packhouse and sales teams with the information they need to optimize our pack operation and sales fulfillment,” adds Nicole.
Addressing Industry Needs With Innovation
Always looking to innovate and provide their customers with cutting-edge solutions, Hectre’s developers began work on what would become Spectre Top Down. The Spectre team worked closely with Sage throughout the development process, gathering valuable insights during the 2021 harvest season before Spectre Top Down was offered to a limited number of customers for the 2022 season.
Spectre Top Down combines Hectre’s award-winning Spectre fruit sizing and color grading technology with a simple-to-implement customized camera installation.
The leading-edge tech combination allows for massive samples to be detected straight off flatbed trucks.
Relationships Are Key
Sage Fruit is dedicated to providing an exceptional eating experience by providing the highest quality fruit. The high-growth company continuously seeks out leading-edge technologies to support this aim and has worked with AgTech Breakthrough Award winner Hectre since 2020.
”"Relationships are critical in this industry, and value fit is important to us when choosing partners. We like the way the team at Hectre listens to industry needs, how they respond with next-level innovation, and the integrity they bring,” says Nicole.
Watch Spectre Top Down in Action
Spectre Top Down uses advanced machine learning and computer vision AI to deliver real-time size and color distribution data with high levels of accuracy within seconds, which can also be pushed via API, making it a must-have tool for high-volume packhouses.
The insights gained from Spectre Top Down allow for better decision-making around packing, sales, and storage, with fewer pack line stoppages and a sales team that knows what they have, meaning more satisfied customers and orders being filled.
