designs and builds high quality, custom packing house equipment for the fresh produce industry, as well as an extensive line of industrial ice crushers, and some of the best shrimp grading machinery available. Beginning in a one-car garage in 1934, our founder J.R. Fitzgerald formed this small family organization after years of working in fruit and vegetable packing sheds across Texas, alongside h
is wife, Vestal. It was a struggling business venture for J.R. (better known in the industry as “Bob”), but he knew that he had a product that the produce industry definitely needed. Tri-Pak soon expanded to its current 4.75-acre location in 1939 as it helped pioneer the mechanization of the produce industry. He envisioned a more efficient system of sorting and packing the produce with his first invention, a sorting conveyor for tomatoes. Where tomatoes were previously being individually wrapped in tissue paper to prevent damage during transit, he discovered that they could be lubricated with a thin film of food-grade wax for the same effect with less packaging waste. He also found that the same number of workers could increase their throughput by dumping the product onto a moving conveyor for a line of workers to sort into finished boxes rather than each worker sorting from box to box directly. Utilizing a conveyor system also allowed for additional modular machinery, leading to the development of an all-inclusive packing line that served to wash, dry, wax, sort by size, grade by ripeness, and pack into a finished product ready to ship to the local grocers. Tri-Pak’s reputation for excellence is built on Bob’s philosophy that the pillars of quality, quantity and uniformity are integral to creating a lasting product and a satisfied customer. These 3 principles were the inspiration for the triangular logo and company namesake. Over the years, more buildings have been added while the Tri-Pak facility has expanded to include the design and manufacture of equipment for packing onions, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, citrus fruit, cabbage, shrimp and other items. The most modern technology has continued to be incorporated in the manufacturing process and the firm's reputation for quality, dependability and service has grown worldwide. Our machines can be found in operation in Great Britain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, several countries in Central and South America, Africa, and in the Caribbean Islands as well as all across the United States. Tri-Pak is presently being managed by the third and fourth generations of Fitzgeralds: David, Jim and his son Austin, as well as a few long-time employees who have basically become part of the family. The company continues to look ahead to better and more efficient machinery, utilizing the newest technology and ideas available, keeping with the tradition of quality, quantity and uniformity originally started in that small garage more than 80 years ago.
