Robert J. Vlasic
Robert J. Vlasic (March 9, 1926 – May 8, 2022) was an American executive. He helped build Vlasic Pickles into one of the most popular pickle brands in the United States controlling about a quarter of the market as of 1978.[1][2]
Vlasic was born and raised in Detroit. His grandfather and father were Croatian immigrants who ran a dairy distribution business. Vlasic served in the Navy during [[World War II], then attended the University of Michigan, earning an engineering degree in 1949.
He joined the family business. During the 1940s the company had expanded into fruits and vegetables, including pickles in glass jars. Vlasic got the company to move beyond distribution into production, making and selling sauerkraut and a wide variety of pickles. He attracted public attention with light-hearted, whimsical commercials, saying that "pickles should be a fun food." One series focused on pregnant women ("Sweetie, it’s time for your 4 o’clock pickle"); another featured a stork named Jovny with a Groucho Marx accent smoking a pickle like a cigar.[1] Vlasic eventually published a book, Bob Vlasic's 101 Pickle Jokes.[2]
In 1978 he sold the business to the Campbell Soup Company and took a seat on Campbell's board of directors, serving as its chairman from 1989 to 1993. He also served on multiple nonprofit and charity boards, including the chairmanship of the board of Henry Ford Hospital.
In 1950 he married Nancy Reuter; the couple had five sons. She died in 2016.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Risen, Clay (May 21, 2022). "Robert J. Vlasic Dies at 96; Made a Fortune by Making Pickles Funny". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "American pickle legend Robert J. Vlasic has died at age 96". NPR.org.
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