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| Products: | Hot
Sauce Mexican goods, Boxed mixes |
|---|---|
| Brands: | Cajun Injector, Casa Fiesta, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Bruce's Pancake, Muffin and Biscuit Mixes, Bruce's Yams, Cajun King, Louisiana Gold Hot Sauce, Mexene Chili, Louisiana Wing Sauce |
| Creation: | 1928 |
| Official Website: | Official Website |
Bruce Foods Corporation, founded in New Iberia, Louisiana in 1928,[1] is one of "America's largest privately-owned food manufacturers," manufacturing over 550 food products under nine major labels, and is credited with "pioneering the canning of Mexican food."[2][3] With four stateside manufacturing plants, the company has more than 1,200 employees.[4]
Among its numerous brands, Bruce manufactures Cajun injector marinades, Casa Fiesta Mexican Foods, Louisiana Gold Pepper Sauce, Mexene Chili Products, "The Original" Louisiana Hot Sauce, Cajun King, Bruce's Yams and Bruce's Sweet Potato Pancake, Muffin & Biscuit Mixes.[5]
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As part of its "Green Initiative", the company recently updated an 11,000 square-feet building in Wilson, North Carolina with a renewable energy system designed to "recover" methane gas, a normal waste by-product that had, until now, been released into the atmosphere. The recovered gas assists with the plant's energy needs; additionally, the plant's water treatment system has accrued a six million gallon gas digester which is meant to ensure a more efficient water treatment process.[6][7]
In 2009, Bruce Foods contested the decision by the Louisiana state budge panel to award ConAgra Foods, Inc. with a multi-million dollar contract to construct a sweet potato facility. On the "Moon Griffon" (Louisiana) radio show, Bruce President Si Brown charged that the state's economic development office, headed by Stephen Moret, had unnecessarily underwritten the out-of-state competitor with tax dollars. Brown asserted that his company could have built the plant in question for $1 million, whereas ConAgra was granted a $37 million contract.[8] According to Moret, since Bruce Foods has been unwilling to open up their ledgers, they are automatically disqualified from receiving state economic loans. Brown countered that since Bruce is a privately held company, they are not required to file financial disclosures.[9][10]
Cajun Injector founder Chef Maurice “Reece’’ Williams sued Bruce Foods to the tune of $24 million in 2005, claiming that the company had not done due diligence promoting the product, as agreed upon when Williams sold his line of injectable marinades to Bruce. According to a jury, Williams was unable to prove that he had been "fraudulently induced to sell the line of marinades", and instead ruled that Cajun Injector had breached the purchase agreement by not providing Bruce with the marinade recipes. The jury also awarded Bruce $224,000 in damages for debts incurred by Cajun Injector before the sale of purchase. Williams, however, was not held personally liable for any of the damages, which totaled $1.1 million.[11][12]
In the past, the company has sponsored "bull riding events" and NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway. Bruce Foods Corp. President Si Brown commented on this decision by telling the New York Times, "The real consumers who keep hot sauce factories running are from the inner city and blue collar and young people who have grown up with it. There's still a lot of growth potential, because young people like spicy food. And more and more cheap food is being sold which needs hot sauce for flavor."[13]
In its more recent history, Bruce Foods' label, Louisiana Hot Sauce, has partnered with Football Fanatics, an online retailer, "to create a football 'Tailgating' theme as a consumer driven promotion."[14]
In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500, Louisiana Hot Sauce was one of many products to be stamped with a commemorative "50th race logo" at the Midwestern grocery chain Kroger.[15]
In 1987, the Bruce Foods received Business America's "E" award for "excellence in exporting", an award given to companies that "have a long-term record of exporting or providing export service." Three years later, the company received Business America's "E Star" award.[16]
Business America singled out Bruce for having been instrumental in expanding trade with Russia, helping sponsor the first Soviet-American Chef Exchange.[17]
Business America is a United States government publication that analyzes and covers American business and economic issues. It was followed by Export America, a now-defunct publication.[18]
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