Red Gold Inc. is an agricultural company specializing in tomatoes and tomato products, producing everything from canned tomatoes, fully prepared tomato sauces, tomato juice to ketchup. The origination of the company started back in 1942 as a way to help the war efforts. When the U.S. entered WWII, the government asked citizens to step up and assist the war effort by supplying food for our troops. When Grover C. Hutcherson heard this message, he and his daughter Fran purchased and rebuilt an old, abandoned cannery building in central Indiana. The cannery had been destroyed on three separate occasions by fires and a tornado, but they managed to rally the community and persevere. Red Gold’s legacy continues to this day by staying true to their roots.
Since then, Red Gold has become the largest privately-owned tomato processor in the nation and operates in both retail and foodservice. Their tomato products can be found in all 50 states and over 55 countries. Four generations of the Reichart family have been producing premium quality tomato products. The company now has three state-of-the-art production facilities in Elwood, Geneva, and Orestes, Indiana. Red Gold also boasts a 1.5 million square foot distribution center in Alexandria, Indiana and operates the subsidiary RG Transport trucking fleet in Elwood. Partnering with local family farms across Indiana, southern Michigan, and Northwest Ohio, they sustainably produce premium quality canned tomatoes, ketchup, sauces, salsas, and juices for retail, foodservice, export, co-pack, and club channels of distribution. Red Gold has always had a close relationship with its 35+ growers, which is unheard of in today’s farming environment. The company established its own seed breeding program 20+ years ago, utilizing an assortment of seed varieties each year to ensure a better crop yield. Red Gold currently has 150 million seedlings started in greenhouses and are waiting to be transplanted in May and June. Each of their tomato plants produce anywhere between 60 to 90 tomatoes on average. That means this year, the farmers will harvest somewhere between 9,000,000,000 to 13,500,000,000 tomatoes this year!
Red Gold continues to stay true to their roots with their passion for our military personnel. They have partnered with the Folds of Honor Foundation, an organization that provides education support to the spouses and children of deceased or disabled U.S. service members and first responders. Red Gold created their Folds of Honor Ketchup that is made right here in America and donates a portion of proceeds for every bottle sold. It is truly the “Ketchup with a Cause”.
The Red Gold family of consumer brands includes Red Gold, Redpack, Tuttorosso, Tomato Love and Sacramento. Exceptional quality and operational excellence are the shared values that contributed to the employee-created mission statement: “To produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world.”
Visit their award winning websites for great recipes, tips culinary inspiration, products and more at: www.RedGoldTomatoes.com and www.RedGoldFoodservice.com.
Article courtesy of Food Industry News