Fourth-generation family member joins Hudson River Fruit

Hudson River Fruit Distributors, a leading supplier of East Coast apples based in Milton, NY, announced that fourth-generation family member Marcus Albinder has joined the company.

Albinder has taken on the role of operations manager and has been cycling through each department to better learn the full scope of the business and to implement operational changes. He has recently completed his time in the quality control and packinghouse department, and is now focusing on grower relations, order fulfillment and sales.

“It's beyond exciting to be working with my family,” said Albinder, whose sister Alisha is a fellow fourth-generation family member. “Hudson River Fruit Distributors is our family’s bloodline, and I am honored to be a part of it and uphold its legacy.”

In between his rotational program, Albinder has been leading Hudson River Fruit’s marketing effort by running the company’s social media platforms and rebuilding the company website, which is scheduled to launch soon. He will leverage his 10 years of marketing experience working at VICE and top ad agencies in New York City to build out a consumer-based communication program in order to better connect with HRFD’s customers and apple consumers.

“It's extremely important to create a fluid line of communication between our customers and ourselves,” he said. “Consumers love to hear the back story of where the apples came from, updates on new varieties and the health benefits to them. My overall goal is to further educate shoppers on the many benefits of apples to make the fruit a pivotal part of their daily lives.”

To further educate himself on the apple industry, Albinder applied for and was accepted into the USApples 2022 NextGen Fellowship, a prestigious yearlong mentorship program for young leaders in the apple industry. As part of the program, Albinder attended USApple’s annual trip to Washington, DC, and met with state senators to talk about active and proposed laws that affect all apple growers within the United States.

“It was such an eye-opening experience to be teamed up with apple growers from all around the country,” he said. “We came together as a team to advocate for all U.S. apple farmers in hopes to protect ourselves from any policy changes that would have an adverse effect on our ability to grow and market apples.”

“The Albinder family has run and operated Hudson River Fruit Distributors for just shy of 60 years, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome Marcus to our family run-business,” the company said in a statement.