Wave of Investment Coming to 
Ferndale With Garden Fresh $231 Million Sale
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 9, 2015)
After months of negotiations a deal has finally been reached for Campbell’s to purchase Ferndale-based Garden Fresh Salsa for $231 Million and a solid commitment to stay and grow in the Ferndale Community.
Jack Aronson signed the company over early Tuesday morning, but not before making sure that his 
terms were met for what he wants with the company and for Ferndale.
“I’ve turned down major offers from other companies before because they wanted to move production. Bolthouse Farms is the driving force behind the Fresh Division of Campbell’s and they have the same kind of mentality as Garden Fresh – fresh, quality ingredients, high standards for production. The way they treat their employees and their commitment to quality is a perfect match for us.
“They are not only going to be keeping our management team, our processes, our recipes etc., they are moving more production to Ferndale. They’re bringing tens of millions of dollars of investment here,” Aronson said.
For Aronson, the money was not the object so much as protecting his employees and his 
community. “We’ve been in Ferndale ever since I was making salsa in the back of a little restaurant,” he said. “And it’s just grown and grown. All along the way Ferndale has supported me and my family, and I’ve done all I could to look out for the employees and the city.
“Garden Fresh has grown, but we’ve never had a lot of reserve money. If there was even one recall it could have devastated the company. We had times where other hummus companies wanted to buy Garden Fresh and we turned them down, and they started doing salsa themselves. It wasn’t the quality of Garden Fresh, but those times of competition were hard, and dealing with uncertainty in the market.
My biggest fear is having to lay off employees or close. This puts employees in a much more 
secure position and it will put more people to work in Ferndale.”
Aronson and his management team signed contracts to stay on board and be part of the decision-making process. He’s also looking forward to expanding Seed, the food incubator, and being able to start a foundation to serve youth in Ferndale and Detroit.
“We currently have a community center for 50 kids in Detroit [Ferndale] that we operate. We’re very active with the Boys and Girls Club… But now we’ll be able to expand our recreation centers for the kids – give them a safe place to go, with tutors and hot meals. It’s been a dream to be able to do this and I’m so glad we can finally make it happen.” He’s also looking forward to many more hours of playing baseball – a love that he shares with his friends as well as with the young people he mentors through Boys and Girls Club and other projects.
Aronson said that working with Campbell’s leadership has been a dream, but the hard part was not being able to speak when rumors came up about the deal before it was done.
“I have said from the beginning what the terms would be for any sale. Would I lie about that,” Aronson said with the same easy-going chuckle he is known for around the community. “But it was hard not being able to talk about it, and having all the rumors out there. We have always been committed to this community. And this deal is going to bring a lot more to Ferndale than I could have imagined.”
Mayor Dave Coulter and others in the City are excited about the sale as well. “Jack and Annette Aronson built what would become Ferndale’s largest employer with great passion and commitment to this community. I am extremely proud of them both, and I know they selected a buyer carefully. I’m hopeful by two things; that Campbell Soup’s has indicated they will expand operations in this city, and that they’re keeping the Aronson’s on to help lead the company. We will be meeting with Campbell’s Soup people soon to offer any assistance they need in being successful in Ferndale,” Mayor Coulter said.
Learn more about Garden Fresh Salsa at http://www.gardenfreshsalsa.com/.
Previous story: https://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/04/28/garden-fresh-not-going-anywhere-in-spite-of-big-name-talks/
*NOTE* This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the current reach of Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland Macomb Counties.
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