Thomas Bros is a family fruit-growing business at 197 Dehra Doon Road in Riwaka, Tasman, with a packhouse on the site. The Thomas family began farming here in the early 1860s, first as a sheep station. Over the years the land grew tobacco, watermelons, peppers and nashi pears. Fred Thomas, the fourth generation, planted kiwifruit when tobacco was in decline, which the business says laid the foundation for the modern orchard. The fifth and sixth generations are now involved.
The main focus is export kiwifruit and apples, sent to Europe, Asia, the Americas, Australia and the Middle East. Cherries and other produce are grown for New Zealand customers. The business sits in one of the country's most productive growing regions, close to Abel Tasman and Kahurangi national parks. Its work covers orchard jobs, packing, grading, labelling, machinery and logistics. It suits anyone curious about how Nelson fruit reaches overseas markets, or people looking for seasonal orchard and packhouse work.