Over the past two decades, the global blueberry industry has undergone a profound transformation. What was once a relatively small and seasonal category is now a globalized, technologically advanced, and ever-expanding industry. Few have been as closely involved in that process—and have contributed as much to shaping it—as Cort Brazelton, a legendary figure at Fall Creek.
However, beyond the numbers, varieties, or international expansion, Brazelton maintains that the true driving force of the industry is people. Leadership, family businesses, genetics, competition, sustainability, and the future of the global blueberry business are all part of a vision marked by a cross-cutting idea: building companies capable of generating a positive impact beyond business.
“It’s not about the family, it’s about the industry and being a good company”
In late October, Brazelton stepped down as CEO of Fall Creek to usher in a new era for the company, with a focus on further professionalizing its leadership structure.
“I was involved in the day-to-day of the business for 18 years. Now I’m working on empowering management so that the company can keep growing beyond just being a family company,” he explains.
Although he remains deeply involved in strategic areas such as research and development, genetics, innovation, supporting leadership, and long-term impact, he believes it is essential that the company’s growth does not depend solely on the founding family.
“I don’t want people at Fall Creek to think ‘well if I’m not in the family, I can’t be the big boss someday’. I don’t want there to be any ceiling. It’s not about the family, it’s about the industry and being a good company. Being family owned just helps make that mindset more feasible.”
Experience outside the family business
Before returning to Fall Creek, Brazelton built a career away from the family business. He studied Economics and International Relations, lived in Germany, and later worked at Driscoll’s and in the financial sector.
For years, he believed he would never return to the family business. “I was convinced I was never going to go back to the industry. I wanted to try something new,” he recalls.
His time at Driscoll’s turned out to be pivotal. There, he discovered a dynamic, global industry deeply connected to people. “I remember walking into the cooler in the morning and smelling raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries while trucks were being loaded. Growers were pulling up and bringing fruit in. It felt like there was a real energy there.”
Based on that experience, he developed a firm conviction about generational succession in family businesses. “If I could give one piece of advice to anyone in a family business with children interested in joining the company, it would be this: it’s incredibly important for them to go out and work elsewhere for as long as possible,” he emphasizes.
In his view, returning to the family business only makes sense under two conditions: that it is truly the person’s calling and that it is also beneficial for the company. “A company is a living thing that many people rely on. Being part of it is not a right, it’s a duty. And to serve it is a privilege,” he remarks.
Returning during a time of crisis
Brazelton’s return to Fall Creek coincided with one of the most challenging periods in the global economy. While working in the financial sector in New York and San Francisco, he received a call from his family: the partners were considering selling the company and wanted to know if he and his sister Amelie would be interested in returning.
He returned to Oregon in 2008, right before the global financial crisis. “Banks pulled back all the loans. We lost more than 70% of our business almost overnight,” he recalls.
The transition into the family business quickly shifted from a learning experience to a matter of survival. “Amelie and I went from, ‘Let’s learn about the family business,’ to, ‘We have to save the company,’” he says. The crisis ultimately forced the company to completely rethink its strategy.
From a regional company to a global player
At that time, Fall Creek was a much smaller company, geographically concentrated, and highly dependent on certain customer segments. Brazelton and theteam quickly realized that the future of the industry required a broader perspective. “We had two options: stay and grow locally expanding to other products or commit to a global model focused on blueberries. We chose the latter.”
The thesis was clear: global blueberry consumption would continue to grow, and the market would demand high-quality fruit year-round. “At that time -I’m talking about more than 18 years ago-there were practically six months of the year with no fruit supply,” he explains.
With this vision in mind, Fall Creek began expanding into strategic markets such as Mexico, Peru, Chile, Spain, South Africa, and later China. “It turns out that taking a small regional company and turning it into an international business is actually very hard. It ended up being even harder than we expected,” he admits.
Today, the company operates in more than a dozen countries and employs nearly 2,000 people.
Building a better world with better blueberries
Over time, Fall Creek defined a mission that, according to Brazelton, encapsulates the company’s purpose: to build a better world with better blueberries through exceptional plants, relationships, innovation, and customer success. “I think if we could revise that today, we’d simply say: make a better world with better blueberries,” he reflects.
For him, the concept isn’t just a marketing slogan, but an idea tied to the impact the industry can have. “Blueberries are not essential for human survival like water, carbohydrates, or proteins, but they are among the most valuable foods people can consume considering the benefits they provide beyond basic nutritional needs.”
His vision is for more and more consumers to consistently have access to and enjoy a positive experience with blueberries. “For that to happen, producers -and everyone involved across the value chain-need to be profitable. Everyone needs healthy businesses,” he says.
Culture, People, and Communities
As Fall Creek expanded internationally, maintaining a close-knit organizational culture became a strategic priority. “It’s key to preserve our culture and empathy, and to always remember who we serve: customers, employees, suppliers, and communities,” he says.
Currently, Brazelton says that much of his focus is on understanding the human experience of those who interact with the company. “When I’m old and on my deathbed, I hope I can say we did something good.”
Among the metrics he uses to measure the company’s impact, he mentions four main goals: helping more people enjoy high-quality blueberries, creating development opportunities for employees and partners, making a positive impact on communities, and building a sustainable company for future generations. “I don’t like it when companies turn their good deeds into marketing. If you do something good, just do it.”
Leadership and Focus
When it comes to leadership, Brazelton is a firm believer in decentralizing decision-making and empowering those who are close to the growers, the orchards, and the fruit. He explains that one of the keys has been giving more power to the people on the ground.
When discussing the transition to Fall Creek’s new CEO, Mark DeBeer and the leadership team, he summed up his philosophy in a simple phrase: “Look at the plants, taste the fruit, talk to people… and taste the fruit again.”
He also emphasizes the importance of strategic focus and the ability to prioritize. “You can do anything, but not everything, at least not at the same time.”
As he explains, leadership often consists precisely of accepting that some areas will be “good enough” while others must achieve levels of excellence.
Genetics and new varietal models
Genetic evolution has been one of the major drivers of global blueberry growth over the past decade. According to Brazelton, the development of new varieties forced the industry to move toward much more sophisticated models. “We identified varieties with unique characteristics, although not all of them were easy to grow,” he explains.
In this context, Fall Creek developed strategies aimed not only at providing genetics, but also at offering comprehensive solutions that combine varieties, plants, technical support, and business models.
A significant part of that process was led by her sister, Amelie Brazelton-Aust, alongside specialists from other fruit industries such as grapes, apples, and citrus. “We asked them: if you could go back, what would you do differently? And we listened to them.”
The result was the fast-growing Sekoya program, a year-round fruit supply platform bringing together some of the world’s leading growers and marketers delivering better fruit from a portfolio of genetics with exceptional fruit.
Apex and the challenge of new varieties
According to Brazelton, the new Apex variety is a good example of how the risks associated with genetic innovation have changed. The variety comes from the Fall Creek breeding program in Mexico and initially did not perform well in tropical environments.
However, it showed excellent results in areas with low chilling requirements, especially in southern Spain. “It demonstrated high yields, large, firm fruit, good flavor, and an early-to-mid harvest.”
After several years of commercial validation and trials with pioneer growers, Fall Creek decided to launch it commercially. “Today, the challenge is not demand, but delivering quality, consistency, and appropriate costs.”
Peru, Chile, and the next phase of the industry
Although Brazelton asserts that the global expansion of the blueberry industry was predictable, he acknowledges that certain developments far exceeded expectations, particularly Peru’s growth. “I didn’t anticipate that Peru would come to account for one-third of the global supply of fresh blueberries,” he admits.
However, he believes the competitive landscape will continue to shift over the coming years. “In 5 to 10 years, Peru could have higher costs per kilo than Chile.”
In his view, factors such as labor availability, production efficiency, demographics, and structural costs will redefine the competitive advantages among countries. He also anticipates a more volatile and unpredictable industry from a geopolitical and economic standpoint. “Volatility is the only constant,” he reflects.
Competition and collaboration
For Brazelton, the success of the blueberry industry depends as much on healthy competition as it does on the ability of stakeholders to collaborate, with the focus on nurturing the industry. Far from viewing competition as a threat, he believes that the strong performance of other companies strengthens the entire sector. “I want our competitors to do well. If they beat you, that’s fine. It forces you to improve.”
He also believes there are many areas where collaboration will remain essential, especially in promotion, research, and market development, since “no company can do it alone.”
He even views the movement of professionals between companies positively, describing it as “cross-pollination” of knowledge.
Pollination: The pending challenge
Brazelton believes that pollination remains one of the most neglected areas in the industry. “We’ve made tremendous progress in genetics, fertilization, irrigation, and technology, but pollination is still lagging behind,” he warns.
He asserts that historically, the issue was simplified to the amount of hives per hectare, whereas today there is a much more complex understanding of bee behavior and its impact on quality and yield. “Pollination is far behind compared to other areas.”
Coaching, learning, and humility
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” admits Brazelton, who currently works with Bill Passmore, a coach and leadership trainer with over 50 years of experience. He believes that professional learning should always be understood as a two-way process. “If you’re being coached, you’re also coaching your coach.”
Rather than talking about coaching, he prefers to think about how people can help each other grow. “It all starts with being open to receiving feedback.”
And he concludes with an idea that sums up much of his philosophy on leadership and life from the author, chef, and traveling philosopher Anthony Bourdain: “I don’t have to agree with you to respect and like you.”
