1965

Hernán Garcés Vial (age 27) and his wife Margarita Echeverría decide to rent a 30 hectare field in San Francisco de Mostazal. Two years later, they purchase 120 hectares to grow potatoes and squash and raise livestock.

1970

Hernán Garcés Vial takes his first step into the fruit industry, planting peach trees and then exporting his first harvest through an external exporter.

1977

This year the first 8 hectares of sweet cherries are planted, marking a milestone that shaped this company.

1982

The San Francisco exporting company is created and exports the first 15 thousand boxes of stone fruit to the United States, Europe and Latin America.

1985

Hernán Garcés Echeverría joins the company. Cherries are first exported to international markets, shipped via air to the United States and Europe.

1995

-State-of-the-art technology is incorporated to ship cherries to Taiwan in 40 days.

-Water-based cherry processing line revolutionizes the market.

-Modified atmosphere packaging.

1999

-Plant inaugurated in San Francisco Mostazal.

-Since 1999, several new varieties of cherries are planted, making for more dynamic production.

2006

The company remains at the industry forefront, installing the first electronic calibrating system.

2009

Forever Fresh USA commercial office is opened.

2011

Agrícola Garcés has 1,000 hectares of company-owned farms.

2012

Plant inaugurated in Molina, which has become one of the most modern plants in Latin America.

2015

The Mostazal Plant is modernized, including a 36-line electronic calibrator and an automated palletizing system.

2017

Hernán Garcés becomes Chairman of the company, appointing Francisco Vodanovic as Chief Executive Officer.

2018

This year the company is rebranded: It is now Garces Fruit, the world’s largest cherry exporter. The company has over 600 permanent employees and 13 thousand temporary workers. It also has 2,200 hectares of company-owned farms.