Pomesters name Schaefer Fruit Man of the Year

Michigan Pomesters recently named Jim Schaefer its 2016 Fruit Man of the Year.

Schaefer, owner and president of Storage Control Systems (SCS) in Sparta, Michigan, is “very passionate about what he does. We can all see that in his hard work and dedication to the industry,” said RJ Simons, a business analyst for BelleHarvest Sales, who presented the award on behalf of the Pomesters.

Schaefer said he was honored to receive the award.

“We love innovation at Storage Control,” he said. “I just have a wonderful team. Coming to work doesn’t seem like work. We have fun every day, and that’s our goal.”

Schaefer has been running SCS since the late ’90s, when he took over from his father, said Mike Laraway, a controls engineer with SCS.

“Ever since then, sitting still has meant we’re falling behind,” Laraway said.

Schaefer has pioneered advancements in equipment design, computer controls, construction methods and energy consumption, to name a few, Laraway said.

“There’s never been a dull day working with Jim,” he said. “He’ll show up in the morning with a new idea that no one’s ever done before, and by noon that day we’ll have a fully functional proof of concept.

“He’s always trying to make fruit storage better, make machines smarter, get the operating costs lower, make the fruit quality higher and make life for the fruit grower easier.”

– Matt Milkovich