Frank Vlasic moved to America in 1912 to build a better life for his family. He was a cheese maker. After saving every dime from his $2 a day car foundry job, Frank established a creamery business in Detroit. He eventually turned it over to his son, Joe.
Joe expanded the family milk and cheese business into selling Polish pickles spiced with garlic and dill. During World War II, however, his supply of pickles dried up, so Joe started testing a whole new idea: selling Polish pickles in glass jars. Smart move. Joe couldn't keep up with demand and the Vlasic Pickle brand was born!
Joe's son, Bob, joined the company after World War II ended and became general manager of the entire Vlasic operation, which still included the creamery. Its first plant was built in Imlay City, Michigan. Together, over the next 20 years, Joe and Bob grew Vlasic into America's number one pickle.
It's said they also played an important role in shaping American eating habits with their glass-packed pickles. In 1933, per capita pickle consumption was 2.09 pounds. By 1974, consumption grew to 8 pounds. Joe and Bob became so successful at pickles that they finally dropped the milk and cheese entirely.
1974 was also the year a wisecracking the Vlasic Stork with a Groucho Marx voice flew out of America's television screens with the message that crunchy "Vlasic is the best-tasting pickle I ever heard!" The idea for this ad campaign is said to come from the fact that the national birthrate was dropping at that time, The Vlasic ad managers simply offered the Stork an opportunity to deliver pickles since babies were in such short supply. The familiar stork is still on the jars today.
Today, Vlasic is owned by Pinnacle Foods.