You’ve seen the bags: bright orange, with the clear front panel that allows for a tempting view of the crisp, crunchy, kettle-style tortilla chips. You’ve seen the refrigerated containers of guacamole, hummus, cheese dip and many one-of-a-kind flavors of salsa. These are the wares of Garden Fresh Gourmet, a Ferndale, Michigan-based company that has become a leading producer and distributor of healthy snack foods. An impressive achievement for anyone, and particularly for a husband and wife team who began making salsa on a small table in the back of their restaurant to help pay their utility bills.
I still remember how my wife and I were introduced to the company in its early days. A friend of ours was a bit of a fanatic when it came to Garden Fresh products. One day, when my wife asked this friend about the one gallon Tupperware container filled with a chunky red liquid in her refrigerator, she explained that this was Artichoke Garlic salsa, and that she liked it so much she would sometimes skip the chips and eat it like soup. We were intrigued, so we tried it right then and there (although we decided to dip chips in it like most people). And, like a growing number of snack lovers in America, we were hooked after our first taste.
Anyone hoping to taste financial success while staying true to personal convictions can learn much from Jack and Annette Aronson, the founders and co-owners of Garden Fresh Gourmet. The Aronsons are living proof that it is possible to earn healthy profits while pursuing one’s passion, and to receive financial abundance while giving from the heart. From their modest start in a storefront bar-b-que on Woodward Avenue, they have become substantial in both earnings and generosity. So, to paraphrase an old TV commercial - how do people like these get to be people like these?
Jack explains: “My father worked at Chrysler’s Warren plant. In 1956, a young couple moved in next door from Lebanon, with little to no knowledge of the English language and neither had a driver’s license. The gentleman got a job at the Warren plant as well. My father drove him to and from work, and took the couple shopping for their groceries. He took them to doctor’s appointments, taught them English and also helped them get their licenses. This couple remains our very dear friends.”
This kind of selfless giving is reflected in the list of organizations supported by Garden Fresh, including a radiothon for the homeless and hungry, a local boys and girls club, the Salvation Army and Children’s Hospital of Michigan, where they sponsored a “healing garden” for patients and their families.
The future of Michigan’s children is clearly important to Jack and Annette. “Our vision is to keep our kids in school,” Jack says, “and provide them with emotional and financial support. School-aged children should get the proper education they need and deserve. We all need to offer support.”
If the company seems to treat others as extended family, it should come as no surprise. The company itself thrives on being a family affair. Annette and Jack’s children have been working with them all along, and a close-knit feeling permeates the entire operation. Says Jack, “Since our
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inception, we have been very fortunate to surround ourselves with good talent, people that share our passion both personally and professionally. We established a strong sense of family within our company culture since our humble beginnings, and through company picnics and activities it continues to flourish.”
Can businesspeople really create a loving atmosphere in which passion thrives while producing excellent, healthy products that bring in a bountiful return? Can they give of themselves so that others may be lifted up and given hope, all the while enjoying a success which exceeds their wildest dreams? Garden Fresh Gourmet is a shining example of achievement on all counts. And when asked for advice for budding entrepreneurs who would walk a similarly uplifted and uplifting path, Jack Aronson offers this encouragement: “You should be passionate about your business and believe in your product. It’s a lot of hard work, of course. But what we found to be most important is our team and the community. Take care of your employees. Give back to the community. Be active participants in the community.”
One gets the feeling that, no matter how big their company grows, Jack and Annette will maintain their warmth, enthusiasm and excitement, and that they will continue to feel proud of their local roots. It’s also true that there is a lot of local pride in the success story that is Garden Fresh. For example, visitors to Comerica Park in Detroit, home of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, are often surprised and delighted to find individual-sized servings of the company’s salsa containers being given out with the Mexican food sold in the concession areas. With 30-40,000 fans attending most home games, that’s a whole lot of Garden Fresh salsa moving around the ballpark. According to Jack, “the popularity of our products in this region is very special to us. Our customers are just as passionate about our products as we are, and it’s refreshing and humbling to hear their feedback.” The Aronsons are a “local folks done good” story, but it’s more than that, largely because of the kindness that they infuse into their business. It makes you want to root for them.
And this healthy company just keeps getting healthier. According to Jack, “It’s very important to us to provide our customers with fresh, all natural products. Currently, 80% of our products are all natural. Our goal is to increase this number to 98% within the next year.”
It’s good to know that purchasing Garden Fresh salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips and other products means supporting people who are actively engaged in making our state and our world a better place. Buying their products is like making a charitable donation that comes with a free bag of tortilla chips or 16 ounces of salsa. It’s also good to know that there are people right here in our state that are living examples of what it means to give from the heart and enjoy abundant success. The Garden Fresh Gourmet family helps make life taste better, and we’re all better off because of it.
Michael Krieger is a singer,songwriter and music teacher living in Southfield, Michigan. He is the owner of Celebration Songs and is co-owner of Family Stories, preserving family histories through videotaped interviews and original songs. Michael can be reached at www.michaelkrieger.com |
