Washington Growers Clearing House
Interview With Dan Kelly, Assistant Manager
Give us some background on the Growers Clearing House:
The Washington Growers Clearing House was established in 1941 to provide information to growers and to aid in facilitating grower involvement in the industry and various regulatory processes that impact growers. We currently have over 2,200 members.
How has the Growers Clearing House changed in the last 10 years due to changing technology?
When I started at the WGCH we had 2 computers for 3 people. We had a small website with three reports and had to input all of our data by hand into spreadsheets.
Now, we have a vast database of all pricing and shipment information. Furthermore, we add a million records a year to the database.
Our new website has calculators, a search engine, 70 reports and archives of annual reports that date back to 1957. We also produce electronic versions of the Weekly Newsletter. Basically, we are much more efficient. We can do everything in about half the time we used to.
What is a great accomplishment of the Growers Clearing House?
We have developed a cost of production calculator for apples, pears, and cherries. It is the first of its kind in the fruit industry. I attended the 2007 Extension Risk Management Conference in Phoenix to present it to a national audience, so they may be able to use it as a template for other commodities.
Why did you decide to work with Clear Focus?
We have been working with Clear Focus for the past seven years. The CompleteCare program is extremely valuable to our organization. We don’t have to worry about hourly costs. We never worry about researching new equipment. As a nonprofit organization, knowing exactly what our monthly payment will be is great for budgeting. We never have any surprises at the end of the month.
What advice would you give to other businesses or organizations who are struggling with utilizing their technology?
I would recommend Clear Focus and the CompleteCare program. It may appear to be more expensive, but when you factor in everything like increased productivity and less computer headaches, it is worth every penny.
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