Difference between revisions of "Greco Canning Company"

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| predecessors = [[Santa Clara Valley Canning Company]]
 
| predecessors = [[Santa Clara Valley Canning Company]]
 
}}
 
}}
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'''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<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=h6rmAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA8-PA23&dq=%22greco+canning%22+plant&hl=en&ei=PaLITs2ZLeWiiQKChZDxDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22greco%20canning%22%20plant&f=false 1921 Canning Age]</ref><ref>Greco People Buy Big 'Three Line' Cannery: [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Eh0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZeQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2018,3938400&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en 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.'</ref>.
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Greco was the world's largest tomato canner during World War II<ref>[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</ref> 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<ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7tcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O-QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1172,1367268&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en toma-butter]</ref>.  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!"<ref>Toma-Butter Soon to Appeasr on Every Table: [http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7tcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O-QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1172,1367268&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en August 2, 1919 San Jose Evening News]</ref>.
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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
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[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QSwiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PqQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4525,143548&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en sold in 1945 for $173,000 (Jan. 2, 1945 San Jose Evening News)]
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to the [[Almaden Packing]] Company, which was organized completely to buy them.
  
 
==Locations==
 
==Locations==
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Photo of plant on page xxx of Western Canner and Packer, Volume 13 (1921).
 
Photo of plant on page xxx of Western Canner and Packer, Volume 13 (1921).
  
[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zHo1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=luMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1218,501008&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en Established 1913] makers of "Grepo" heavily concentrated grape syrup. Prohibition?
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SP Valuation Map shows grant from City of San Jose to Greco Canning to cross Autumn Street, signed 1928.
 
 
California canned fruits, vegetables, and tomato paste.
 
 
 
1919 article mentions they'll start selling
 
[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7tcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O-QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1172,1367268&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en toma-butter] had primarily been selling to the Latin market. Boiler for making toma-butter "big enough to boil Lake Michigan, Saginaw included!"  (Edith Daley column)
 
 
 
[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7tcxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O-QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1172,1367268&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en Ad in November 1919] paper offers to buy any tomatoes in good condition that someone else's cannery didn't take.
 
 
 
[http://books.google.com/books?id=h6rmAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA8-PA23&dq=%22greco+canning%22+plant&hl=en&ei=PaLITs2ZLeWiiQKChZDxDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22greco%20canning%22%20plant&f=false 1921 Canning Age] Greco bought Santa Clara Canning Company's three-line cannery in San Jose. Listed as largest canner of string beans and tomatoes on west coast.
 
 
 
In 1936, one of his buyers was Ben Moceo, who's listed in the 1931 SP siding list as buyer for Greco.
 
 
 
Bought the "three line fruit cannery" of the [[Santa Clara Valley Canning Company]] at 8th and Taylor in
 
[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Eh0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZeQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2018,3938400&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en September 1922]
 
according to
 
[http://books.google.com/books?id=2S0dAQAAMAAJ&dq=western%20canner%20and%20packer&pg=RA5-PA56#v=onepage&q=western%20canner%20and%20packer&f=false October 1922 Western Canner and Packer]
 
"Largest canner of string beans in California."
 
 
 
Ceased operation in 1938. May have restarted in 1941 only to be
 
[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QSwiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PqQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4525,143548&dq=greco+cannery&hl=en 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.
 
  
SP Valuation Map shows grant from City of San Jose to Greco Canning to cross Autumn Street, signed 1928.
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==References==
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<references/>
  
[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] states that the company was founded in 1913, ceased operations in 1938, and was the world's largest tomato canner during World War I.
 
 
[[Category:San Jose]]
 
[[Category:San Jose]]
 
[[Category:Cannery]]
 
[[Category:Cannery]]

Revision as of 06:19, 16 November 2013

Summary
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

  1. 1921 Canning Age
  2. 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.'
  3. [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
  4. toma-butter
  5. Toma-Butter Soon to Appeasr on Every Table: August 2, 1919 San Jose Evening News