B
ob Wagner is dressed for work
in khakis and a teal polo shirt.
He’s a tall, easy-going man
with energy in his step, a firm
handshake, a ready smile, and a hearty
laugh. His business card contains a red-
flower logo, the name Blossom Valley
Foods, his name and contact informa-
tion, but no title. Wagner could list
himself as owner, CEO or President—
but he chooses not to. He’s just another
member of the company.
He seems comfortable with his life:
“Frankly, I was never as aggressive as
I probably should have been. I wasn’t
greedy; it’s a family business, and
we’re making a good living. The size
is about right.”
Wagner added that more employees
would mean more regulations. He
doesn’t want to add a second shift, and
a larger size would make the business
less manageable. Yet, the business
employs twenty-six full-time people and
earns about $6 million in annual sales.
Wagner started with the company
in 1963 as the only employee of Frank
Cascio when it was called Citrus Fruit
Sales. They sold an imitation lemon
juice, and, later, non-alcoholic cocktail
mixers. After Cascio’s untimely death
in 1971, Wagner ran the company
for three years before purchasing it
from Cascio's widow. He changed the
name to Blossom Valley Foods when
the product line diverged from its
original offerings.
In 1987, Wagner moved the
company from San Jose to Gilroy.
“It was so refreshing to come to
Gilroy and have a city that actually
worked with you,” Wagner said.
“I like the community.”
Wagner shared that he enjoys
running into people that he knows in
stores and when running about.
“Here, you feel like you can have
some input, that you can make a
difference,” Wagner said.
Except for time in the army and to
complete his Political Science degree,
Wagner has been with Blossom Valley
Foods for 56 years.
The company still makes cocktail
mixers, but they are best known for
their Pepper Plant Sauce, which they
originally produced and packaged
for Bob Roush, its creator, until Bob
purchased the recipe from him in the
mid-90s. The Pepper Plant family of
sauces includes the original Pepper
Plant Sauce, a Garlic Pepper Sauce, Hot
Pepper Sauce, BBQ Sauce, and more.
“Here, you feel like you
can have some input,
that you can make
a difference.”
“We’re re-thinking our product line
and will probably emphasize our Pepper
Plant products, that’s where our growth
is and that keeps us steady,” he said.
Blossom Valley Foods is also a
private label co-packer: producing and
packaging products for third parties.
Pam Barstad, a client and co-owner
of Big Daddy’s Cocktail Mixers, said,
“We were so pleased to find Blossom
Valley. They’ve been great to work with
as far as getting us out there and getting
product when we need it.”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
FALL/HOLIDAY 2019
Although Wagner and his wife are
“kind of backing out” to let his kids—
Mike and Doug—take over, he contin-
ues to work at age 76.
“I enjoy the people I work with.
I enjoy coming in and being around
people. Most of my employees have
been here over ten years and one has
been here over thirty. People that work
for you are very important. They’ve
got kids, families; you feel a sense
of responsibility.
“You don’t tell people what to
do—you ask them,” he said. “And that
makes a big difference. That’s been my
management style. I don’t get mad.
Don’t take it out on the people. I enjoy
our customers. We got more calls last
week from customers all across the
country wanting to know if we were
okay because they heard about the
shooting at the Garlic Festival. It makes
you feel good that people care.”
Maybe Blossom Valley Food’s success
can be found in Wagner’s favorite book,
“All I Really Need to Know I Learned
in Kindergarten,” by Robert Fulghum:
Share everything; play fair; when you go
out into the world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands, and stick together; and be
aware of wonder.
“If people lived these values, what
a wonderful world it might be to live
in,” Wagner said. “There’s nothing
wondrous anymore.”
But he’s wrong about that: The
world really is wondrous because of
people like Bob Wagner who live and
practice these values and who believe
that people are important—it makes
you feel good when people care.
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