LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Frieda’s Specialty Produce declares April 2 of every year Love Your Produce Manager™ Day, a national holiday that began in 2012 in honor of Frieda’s 50th anniversary. Love Your Produce Manager™ aims to shine the spotlight on supermarket produce managers who play a key role in making a variety of unique fruits and vegetables available to U.S. consumers—including everyone’s favorite Kiwifruit.
51 years ago, a shopper walked into a Salt Lake City supermarket and asked the Produce Manager for “Chinese Gooseberries.” The Produce Manager asked his buyer, and the buyer contacted specialty produce purveyor, Frieda Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce Company, who had just received the first U.S. Shipment of Chinese Gooseberries which were later named Kiwifruit.
If that Produce Manager hadn’t asked, Kiwifruit might not be the well-known and loved fruit it is today.
“This is what Frieda’s founder and my mother, Frieda Caplan, calls ‘the Power of One’,” said Karen Caplan, Frieda’s President and CEO. “Without requests from Produce Managers, shoppers may never see the variety of produce that is now considered commonly available today like Fennel, Mini Sweet Peppers, and Dragon Fruit. The conversations the Produce Managers have with consumers pave the way for us to bring to the market even more unique and exciting products like Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, Kiwano® Melons, Fiore Viola Purple Artichokes, and Kale Sprouts.”
This is why Frieda’s wants to encourage shoppers everywhere to love their Produce Managers! Talk to them. Ask them about what’s in season, what tastes good. If you can’t find something, request it.
Because for Frieda’s, after 51 years, it still starts with the Produce Manager.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Inc. celebrates more than 50 years of innovation in fresh produce. Founded in 1962 by Frieda Caplan, Frieda's was the first wholesale produce company in the U.S. to be founded, owned and operated by a woman, and is still a family- and women-owned business today. With the mission of changing the way America eats fruits and vegetables, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 specialty items to U.S. produce departments, including Kiwifruit, Spaghetti Squash, Habanero Peppers, Black Garlic and many more. Frieda’s officially declared 2013 as The Year of Purple. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and www.friedas.com.
Source: Frieda’s Inc.
