The History of Vlasic Pickles

Frank Vlasic immigrated to the United States in 1912 and settled in Michigan. There, he worked at a car foundry and after saving up, he opened a creamery business in Detroit. After some time, he turned the business over to his son, Joe, who expanded the milk and cheese business by selling Polish pickles flavored with garlic and dill. During World War II, fresh pickles became increasingly hard to find, so Joe tested out selling Polish pickles in glass jars. Demand soon skyrocketed and Vlasic Pickles were born! The company’s first plant was built in Imlay City, Michigan after the war. During the postwar period, Joe and his son Bob built Vlasic into one of America’s best-known pickle brands. Eventually, the company stopped making milk and cheese to focus entirely on pickle production. In 1974, Vlasic’s mascot, the Vlasic Stork, was introduced along with the crunch-emphasizing slogan, “Vlasic is the best tasting pickle I ever heard!”. Today, Vlasic Pickles remains one of the most popular, widely available pickle brands in America.