Rosie the Robot Helps Make Hot Sauce Happen
A Hot Sauce State of Mind
When you think of North Carolina hot sauces, the first one that comes to mind may not be Texas Pete®. The first time I saw Texas Pete® at a North Carolina food show I was perplexed and remember thinking, “Wait a minute, that’s a North Carolina company?” The fact that it has a whole other state in the name often confuses people who are then surprised to learn that this is family-owned company, Garner Foods, started making hot sauce in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1929 and still occupies the same factory just outside of downtown Winston Salem.
Hot Sauce History
The legend behind Texas Pete® hot sauce is that originally the Garner family thought about naming their hot sauce “Mexican Joe”. At that time many in the United States associated the country of Mexico with hot and spicy foods; but the patriarch and founder of Garner Foods, Sam Garner, vetoed that idea and used the nickname of one of his sons, so it became “Texas Pete”. (Source: https://www.texaspete.com/the-legend/)
Where the Sauces are Made and the Role of Robots
To learn more about Texas Pete® and other Garner Foods products like their sriracha sauce and salsas, I drove to Winston-Salem to tour their factory.
The production facility is in a modest building of just 85,000 square feet. When we pulled up outside and stepped out of the car, we were greeted with the scent of tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions cooking. That day they were making the Green Mountain Gringo® salsa so the air had a savory perfume. Garner Foods also has two other off-site facilities, one where ingredients are stored, and the other where finished products are held prior to distribution.
Their factory and production area has 7 production lines and runs two shifts with about 35–40 employees working per shift. As I walked through the plant wearing my protective goggles, hairnet, and ear plugs, I saw salsa being bottled, packets of Texas Pete® hot sauce being packed up and bottles of Texas Pete® briskly moving along a conveyor belt on their way to be packed into boxes.
Not all of the workers at Garner Foods are humans. I met a few of their robots during the tour that all have nicknames… “Hulk”, “Batman and Robin”, “Little Jeff” and “Rosie” … all part of the team and have various jobs that help produce products.
Garner Foods moving Forward
How does an 89 year-old company look towards the future but maintain their corporate history?
One way is to continue to have the family involved in the business so members of the fourth generation of Garner family have an active role in Garner Foods. The company also decided to take part in the revitalization of downtown Winston-Salem by renovating an historic building and moving their corporate headquarters to this more visible location. The building features a ground level test kitchen that their chef uses to test recipes. (Source: http://yesweekly.com/garner-foods-renovates-historic-winston-salem-building-for-new-downtown-headquarters-makeover-transforms-space-into-modern-corporate-facility/)
To engage with a new generation of shoppers and create brand loyalty Garner Foods has turned to social media. They showcase fast-paced recipe videos, interact with fans on various social media channels and support many community festivals where they can showcase their products.
Garner Food also continues to look for new and innovative products that will wear their different brand names and can attract shoppers who want to spice up their food and beverages with salsas, sauces and seasonings.