Frieda Rapoport Caplan

Frieda Rapoport Caplan (August 10, 1923 — January 18, 2020) was an American businesswoman who was the founder of Frieda's Inc., a specialty produce company in Los Alamitos, California. She created the specialty produce industry in the United States and revolutionized the fresh produce industry.

Early life Caplan was born Frieda Rapoport in downtown Los Angeles on August 10, 1923. Her parents, Solomon and Rose Yanowa Rapoport,

Career Caplan worked in a law office and a nylon factory before the birth of her first child. In 1955 she had her first child and was looking for a job with flexible hours that allowed her to breastfeed. that sold at the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. On the first day Caplan worked on the market floor, she saw some unsold portobello mushrooms and started trying to sell them. and according to Entrepreneur, the first woman to "launch, own and operate a wholesale business in the male-dominated US produce industry." She opened the business on April 2, 1962, and Caplan started selling it by that name. Kiwifruit became a news story, In 1995 she appeared on the David Letterman Show.

Caplan was named an Outstanding California Woman in Business in 1987. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Frieda's Specialty Produce

According to The New York Times, an endorsement from Frieda's represents "a game-changer" for growers. Asian pears, and fresh herbs.

By 2018 Frieda's had 75 full-time employees and 110 part-time.