NEWS

It All Began with a Little Salsa!

Ernie Johnson and Steven Gill tour the Gills Onion plant in January 2008

When Steve and David Gill were approached 25 years ago by Ernie Johnson, then Executive Vice President of La Victoria Foods, Inc. (a family owned company) about growing fresh onions as an ingredient for La Victoria salsa, the two knew they had a unique opportunity. 

La Victoria had tried onions for its salsas in numerous forms: frozen, dehydrated, and had even tried to peel their own.” It was a nightmare getting rid of the waste,” said Mr. Johnson. Already growing tomatoes and chilies for La Victoria, the Gill brothers set up a very small plant and got to work. The first contract was for 500 tons, and as the plant got up and running, increased to 1,000 tons, then 1,500 tons…….All the while, according to Mr. Johnson, the Gills were able to deliver premium product on a timely basis. The contracts continued to increase. “It has really been amazing watching them build their business to what it is today,” said Mr. Johnson. Amazing, but not a surprise. “The Gills were the most professional group of growers that we had. It was a real revolution. They were always on time, with good product, can could turn orders quickly,” he explained. 

“Over the course of my years with La Victoria, we developed a good relationship. We played golf and enjoyed our friendship.” Ernie’s father-in-law also was friends with the Gill’s father, Allen, so the friendship spanned two generations. Today, while no longer with La Victoria, Mr. Johnson enjoys following Gills Onions’ growth and staying in contact with the Gill brothers.   As mentioned earlier, one of the primary reasons La Victoria was looking for another company to peel the onions was because of the waste issues. Mr. Johnson was amazed with Gills’ Fuel Cell Project, that will “make silk out of a sow’s ear” by turning that wasted into reusable energy.

The Gills Onions of today is an onion business that is unparalleled in the industry. Gills ships onions to industrial, foodservice, wholesale and retail markets all over North America. The onions are shipped diced, sliced, and slivered in a wide range of sizes as well as whole peeled. Packaging options include reseal-ability, tubs, tray packs, pillow packs and more. 

“There was a lot of trial and error early on when learning to process the onions, but now we are really proud of the quality that we can ship nationally on a year-round basis, said Steve Gill, president and co-founder of Gills Onions. The potential for processed onions continues to be enormous. “Every onion has to be peeled before you use it,” he says. “Then it has to be sliced or diced after that.” And that’s where Gills Onions comes in. We will cut to our customer’s specifications; if it’s something we don’t already offer, we’ll find a way to do it! The bottom line---if you’re still peeling onions, it’s a crying shame!!

Thanks to all of our customers, employees and vendors for helping Gills through our first 25 years-we look to many more successful years together. Happy 25th Anniversary Gills Onions!!!