History of Great Lakes^®

At the turn of the century, William Rasch began farming apples in the fertile soil along the shores of Lake Michigan. Today, the fourth generation of Rasch descendants still grow apples on this same land. As the family grew, both in size and in wealth, they began to expand their fruit operations. One of those descendants, Eugene Rasch, founded the modern Great Lakes corporation in Michigan in 1975 to expand the family business into fresh fruit sales and fruit processing.

Today, the Rasch family operations encompass the entire fruit processing industry - from fruit growing to fresh fruit sorting and sales right through to the processing of branded fruit products. The base of these operations are located in the heart of the state of Michigan.

In 1992, Paul Rasch began to expand the family's business internationally at his father's urging. After extensive research, Paul chose China as the place and high quality fruit juice as the product. Paul's reasoning was simple - China produces 40% of the world's total apple crop and ranks third in world orange production - quality fruit was readily available. Given Asia's large and increasingly affluent population, Paul was sure the demand for quality branded fruit juices was certain.

He chose Tianjin as the site of the first operation as it sits right in the heart of China's three main apple producing regions - Liaoning, Shandong and Shaanxi Provinces. When you are dedicated to buying only the highest quality fruit to make the highest quality fruit products you need to be where the fruit is.

Having spent his youth in the USA fruit business,  Paul was attracted by the Chinese consumer's love of freshness and disdain for artificial ingredients. Paul shared these principles and agreed to bring these two principles with him into the new business in China.

Great Lakes began operations in Asia producing only the highest quality 100% Fresh Pressed natural juices with no artificial additives. Paul was so proud of his product, he decided to pack it in a clear shelf stable glass bottle that would lock in the fresh flavor of the fresh pressed juice.

Great Lakes is also continuing to take this dedication to freshness into other types of juices with the recent introduction of a fresh tasting and nutritious fruit juice drink after years of work by the Great Lakes’ team.  At  Great Lakes mission we are all dedicated to a single mission - to bring high quality natural fruit products from the tree directly to you.