Established in 1913 under the direction D. F. Fischer, the lab was originally known as the "Handling, Transportation and Storage Investigations Unit", and was located in what is now the North Central Washington Museum.  In 1978, construction of a new building was initiated next to the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center on Western Avenue.  Currently, the unit conducts research on "The Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruit".