You may not know Dave Zilko's name, but you've probably seen his products in your grocery store.
Zilko is the former vice chairman of Garden Fresh Gourmet. He and business partners Jack and Annette Aronson took a scrappy little Oakland County company that was deep in debt and turned it into the number one brand of fresh salsa in North America, with revenues topping $100 million.
Last June, Garden Fresh was sold to Campbell Soup Company for $231 million.
It's a success story that offers wisdom and lessons to other Michigan business owners and entrepreneurs. Zilko tells that story in his new book, Irrational Persistence: Seven Secrets That Turned a Bankrupt Startup Into a $231,000,000 Business.
Listen to the full interview above to hear how salsa from Detroit (not Texas!) that is still made with five gallon buckets is sold worldwide and has become a nearly a quarter of a billion dollar business.
GUEST: Dave Zilko is the author of Irrational Persistence: Seven Secrets That Turned a Bankrupt Startup Into a $231,000,000 Business
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