As I start my third year of Gourmet Firehouse Salsa, I find myself reflecting on how vital it is to make a local product in the Cleveland area. Looking back to day one, every encounter I had starting this business involved a Cleveland-area connection.
Before I even started producing salsa, I needed advice and guidance to determine if I had a viable product to continue my endeavor. The Cleveland Culinary Launch Kitchen was my first experience with a local company. After several months of working with their staff, they provided the foundation and starting block that I needed to get my salsa into production.
Here is my full circle of “keeping it local” as I started the roll-out!
Web design: Lakewood, OH
Label design: Columbia Station, OH
Label printer: Akron, OH
Photography: Avon Lake, OH
Apparel: Columbia Station, OH
Social media: Highland Heights, OH
Jars and lids: Cleveland, OH
Fresh produce: Cleveland, OH
Salsa ingredients: Valley View, OH
Commercial kitchen: Cleveland, OH
Nutritional label: University of Akron
Recipe certifications: Columbus, OH
Accounting: Avon Lake, OH
Retail Stores: Cuyahoga & Lorain Counties
Markets and events: Cleveland, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, Vermilion, Avon Lake, Bay Village.
So, in a nutshell, by buying a jar of my salsa, you are also supporting these Cleveland-area businesses!
Thank you for buying local and keeping it full circle!
