Angela Hernandez, vice president of marketing for Trinity Fruit Co., says being raised in and around the produce industry inspired her to pursue a career in produce.
“I believe persevering in the challenges is what develops growth — and in my experience, it’s how I have gotten to where I am today. I believe the key is to keep your eye on the rainbow when you’re in the storm,” Hernandez says.
The Packer: Can you describe any innovative practices or strategies you’ve implemented that have had a significant impact on the industry or community?
Hernandez: To name a few, How2Recycle was implemented in the industry around late 2018, and Trinity Fruit was one of the first to implement this on all packaging — educating consumers on how to dispose of packaging materials to eliminate waste in the environment. This worked in our favor while the industry was learning more about sustainable packaging, and it helped bridge the gap between sustainability and environmental practices.
In 2020, we launched The Fruitful Market, which offered fresh fruit to the doorsteps of consumers. This was during COVID-19, when we learned that consumers were afraid to shop in-store and when I personally learned on a walk in Brentwood, Los Angeles, that the line to the outdoor farmers market was extremely long to get in. I saw an opportunity to make shopping for fresh fruit easy and accessible. The Fruitful Market continues to thrive even after the pandemic, and consumers are still subscribing and giving the gift of fruit — it’s the tree that keeps giving.
In 2022, the president of our company, David White, and I were in our weekly marketing meeting when he shared that he wanted to work on developing a juice product using our fresh mandarins and pomegranates. This was a part of his zero-waste initiatives. So, boots to the ground I went. Deep diving into the juice category (literally) and creating an R&D team to help the success of this project. Now, 2025, we have nine flavors of juice under the Squeezed Juice brand and continue to make a splash in this category.
I look forward to continuing to strategize with our amazing team to stay relevant in the grocery space to increase fresh consumption.
What do you think sets you apart from others in the field, and how do you continuously work to elevate your contributions to the produce industry?
Aside from being tenacious and driven, I think what sets me apart is that I identify myself as a shopper first and foremost. I think about what drives me to products and what entices the mental aspect of shopping. This helps me greatly in my role and allows my job to not feel like work but more like a hobby. So fun!
Read more about The Packer’s 2025 Women in Produce:
- Rebeckah Freeman Adcock — vice president of U.S. government relations, International Fresh Produce Association
- Erika Allen — founder and CEO, Urban Growers Collective
- Lori Bigras — communications manager, Ocean Mist Farms
- Kelly Hale — vice president of sales and marketing, Highline Mushrooms
- Kristyn Lawson — president and CEO, Preferred Sales and Marketing
- Tina Lee — CEO, T&T Supermarket
- Robin Narron — marketing director and sales support, Nash Produce
