Salsa Lisa

On February 8, Salsa Lisa was acquired by a California fresh vegetable growers group, Calavo Growers Inc. Owner Lisa Nicholson had previously determined that her salsa would be a great complement to their guacamole and other products.

Lisa has fourteen part time employees and will be expanding. They will increase production at her University Avenue location. Presently, Salsa Lisa produces about 1200 gallons per day, 2 to 3 days a week. With the expansion, production will grow to 5 to 7 days a week.

Salsa Lisa started in Lisa’s garden when she was in college. She began by making small batches of salsa for friends and family members. She then started selling it at the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market. She decided to pick up a distributor in 1997 selling about 40 cases to about 15 stores.

Lisa began banking with her neighborhood bank, Park Midway Bank because she was interested in the small business work that the bank did and also heard from others about benefits that the Bank had to offer. She received help from the SBA department, which was key to helping the business with its growth plans. Her story is still unfolding but has seen great success.

"Park Bank has been a great partner for me as I established my start-up business. When business began to grow, Park Bank was able to provide critical funds through their SBA program at a critical time when the facility needed to expand. I am very excited about the opportunity to continue to grow Salsa Lisa with my new business partner, Calavo, and appreciate the fact that Park Bank helped get me there."

For more information, visit her website at www.salsalisa.com.