Greco Canning Company
| Business |
Cannery |
|---|---|
| Main Location |
San Jose, CA |
| Active |
1913-1938 |
| Brands |
De Luxe, Korona, Alta Villa (1919) |
| Predecessors |
Santa Clara Valley Canning Company |
Greco Canning was a San Jose canner that operated on Autumn Street from around 1921 through 1938 run by Victor Greco. The company bought the Santa Clara Canning Company's "three-line" cannery on Taylor Street in 1921[1][2].
Greco was the world's largest tomato canner during World War II[3] and "one of the largest canners of string beans". The company also made Grepo, a processed grape syrup. They started by selling primarily to the "Latin" market[4]. They also manufactured tomato paste products, with Edith Daley commenting on their boiler for making toms-butter (tomato paste) being "big enough to boil Lake Michigan, Saginaw included!"[5].
The company ceased operation in 1938. It may have restarted in 1941 only to be sold to the Almaden Packing company, which was organized only to buy Greco. The sold in 1945 for $173,000 (Jan. 2, 1945 San Jose Evening News) to the Almaden Packing Company, which was organized completely to buy them.
Locations
| Location | Years | Address | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | 1921, 1928, 1930s, -1945 | Howard and Autumn | |
| San Jose | 1922 | 8th and Taylor (1922) | Former Santa_Clara_Valley_Canning_Company |
Photos
Greco Canning Co., San Jose John C. Gordon Collection / San Jose Library
Details
Photo of plant on page xxx of Western Canner and Packer, Volume 13 (1921).
SP Valuation Map shows grant from City of San Jose to Greco Canning to cross Autumn Street, signed 1928.
References
- ↑ 1921 Canning Age
- ↑ Greco People Buy Big 'Three Line' Cannery: September 18, 1922 San Jose Evening News. 'from a small beginning in 1913 to a point where it is now the largest canner of string beans in California, and the largest independent packer of tomato products on the west coast.'
- ↑ [http://books.google.com/books?id=I7xarYW9BGcC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=italian+canning+company+san+jose&source=bl&ots=t1Ibza5aWp&sig=DtsCZn-lKK-blG2gUtYZZINiBTo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wJL9UYWWNcfJqgGHz4HIDg&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=italian%20canning%20company%20san%20jose&f=false Italians in the Santa Clara Valley
- ↑ toma-butter
- ↑ Toma-Butter Soon to Appeasr on Every Table: August 2, 1919 San Jose Evening News