The makers of the salsa in the nachos for sale at Comerica Park are reaping the rewards of good business, expanding its Ferndale operations and expecting to add more positions in the near future.
"We're a growing company," says Dave Zilko, vice chairman of Garden Fresh Salsa.
The largest maker of all-natural salsa in the U.S. is consolidating its operations in its Ferndale production facility at 9 Mile Road and Bonner Street by moving its administrative offices there. The company expects to make the move the end of the year.
Garden Fresh, which currently employs 207 people, expects to grow 40 percent in the next year and add more positions as it grows. To facilitate this growth it took over 16,000 extra square feet of the building complex it is currently in.
Garden Fresh Salsa started from humble beginnings in the back of a struggling Ferndale restaurant. The owners, Annette and Jack Aronson, soon realized their salsa was becoming the most popular dish, attracting the attention of upscale supermarket chains that wanted to package and sell it.
For a time the salsa was made in 5-gallon buckets in the back of the restaurant, until the city threatened to shut the operation down. That prompted the move to a Ferndale production facility and expansion of the products offered, ranging from chips to other dipping sauces. The family business now wins major awards for its salsas and has been invited to join the board of the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce.
Source: Dave Zilko, vice chairman of Garden Fresh Salsa
Writer: Jon Zemke
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