The Golden Pineapple: Why is it Our Logo?

In colonial America, the pineapple was the most exotic of the tropical fruits that seafaring captains brought back to the colonies from their voyages to the islands of the West Indies. In New England, when the captain of a clipper ship returned to port from the Caribbean Islands, he would spear a pineapple on his iron gatepost to announce to friends and neighbors that he was home. The pineapple quickly became an invitation for neighbors and friends to visit his home, share his family’s table, and listen as he recounted tales from his voyage.

This “king of fruit” – so named because of its crown – intrigued Americans because of its delicious taste and exotic appearance. In 1879, on the Treasure Coast of southeast Florida, Captain Thomas Richards planted some pineapple slips on his plantation on the Indian River. The slips flourished, and the American pineapple industry was born. John Laurence Jensen set up a pineapple plantation two years later in what is now the town of Jensen Beach, FL. By 1895, Jensen Beach was called the “Pineapple Capital of the World,” with a newly built Pineapple Factory shipping over one million boxes of pineapples each year on riverboats, sailing ships, and railways. Even today, Jensen Beach (which is 15 miles north of Hobe Sound) hosts an annual Pineapple Festival, as well as claiming a Pineapple Avenue, a Pineapple Park, the Pineapple Plaza and the Pineapple Commons.

Due to its association with warmth, friendliness and family, the pineapple in America was increasingly used in the 18th and 19th centuries to decorate bed posts, tablecloths, napkins – anything associated with welcoming guests. That is why Family Private Care has proudly adopted the pineapple as a fitting symbol for our company.

Every time you witness one of our team members wearing a gold pineapple lapel pin or see a business card with a gold embossed pineapple, please accept it as our warm, personal greeting to you: You’re a friend of the family!