It all started with the kiwifruit. And forty years later Frieda's Inc. is still the company that introduces America to the most unique and exotic of all produce. If you've enjoyed fresh or dried brown mushrooms, shallots, jicama, purple potatoes, sugar snap peas or habanero chiles, then you've enjoyed just some of the specialty produce items that Frieda's introduced.
Karen Caplan, President of Frieda's and the eldest daughter of company founder, Frieda Caplan, brings you into her mouth-watering world of Donut peaches, spaghetti squash and fennel. Not just a collection of original recipes, The Purple Kiwi Cookbook includes useful information, tips and personal recollections on some of the world's most fascinating fruits & vegetables. The Purple Kiwi Cookbook recipes were developed in the Frieda's test kitchen under Karen's watchful eye.
Not only is The Purple Kiwi Cookbook endorsed by world-renowed chefs like Charlie Trotter and Norman Van Aken and but it is currently featured in the Bloomingdale's Catalog and the December issue of Better Homes & Gardens!
Karen Caplan, President FRIEDA'SŪ, INC.
Products like Cherimoyas and Jicama may be unfamiliar to the average person, but Karen Caplan grew up eating and selling them. As the first-born daughter of entrepreneur Frieda Caplan, founder of Frieda'sŪ Inc., Karen began working with produce at the age of ten.
In 1986, at age thirty, Karen was promoted to President of the nation's leading marketer and distributor of specialty produce. She is currently President of Frieda's Inc. and the author of The Purple Kiwi Cookbook, a collection of delicious recipes featuring some of the world's most exotic produce.
Caplan's vision and leadership has propelled Frieda's, Inc. to the forefront of the produce industry with annual sales now exceeding $35 million. By establishing a unique corporate structure and developing a dynamic team, she has created a strong foundation for the company's continued success.
Some of her innovations have included developing a Consumer and Public Relations program within the Marketing department, encouraging the flow of product information. As a result of this, Frieda's is now considered the most authoritative and dependable source of information on specialty produce in the world.
In 1992, Karen introduced the principles of "Total Quality" and "100% Customer Satisfaction" to each employee in the company which has contributed greatly to the company's growth in sales and the retention of employees.
Caplan has also been pioneering and highly involved in the industry and the community. She has served on the Boards of these industry organizations: Fresh Produce and Floral Council, United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, Produce Marketing Association, and the City of Hope Food Industry Circle. Caplan was also past president of NAWBO-Los Angeles (National Association of Women Business Owners) and an active member of the Committee of 200, The International Women's Forum, NAWBO, IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) and WCR (Women Chefs & Restaurateurs.)
In the business community, she has been honored with many awards, including "Business Woman of the Year" for the National Association of Women Business Owners, Entrepreneur of the Year by the Roundtable for Women in Food Service, and was named the 1996 Small Business Administration's (SBA) Women in Business Advocate for the Western United States.
Karen earned her BS degree in Agricultural Economics and Business Management from the University of California at Davis. Caplan, a native of California, lives in Seal Beach, California with her two daughters, Alexandra (11) and Sophia (6).
