McIlhenny's Gold: How a Louisiana Family Built the Tabasco Empire

New
Illustrated
2008
$16.81

In this fascinating history, Jeffrey Rothfeder tells how, from a simple idea - the outgrowth of a handful of peppers planted on an isolated island on the Gulf of Mexico - a secretive family business emerged that would produce one of the best-known products in the world. In short order, McIlhenny's descendants would turn Tabasco into a gold mine and an icon of pop culture, making it as recognisable as far bigger brands such as Coca-Cola and Kleenex.To this day, the McIlhenny Co., still run by a family of matchless characters who believe in a rigid code of family loyalty, clings to tradition and the old ways of doing business. Yet by fiercely protecting its beloved brand and refusing to sell out to big food conglomerates, this family business has run circles around its competitors, churning out annual revenues that have surpassed everyone's expectations. A satisfying read for business buffs, McIlhenny's Gold is the untold story of the continuing success of an eccentric, private company; a lively history of one of the most popular consumer products of all times.

Synopsis

In this fascinating history, Jeffrey Rothfeder tells how, from a simple idea - the outgrowth of a handful of peppers planted on an isolated island on the Gulf of Mexico - a secretive family business emerged that would produce one of the best-known products in the world. In short order, McIlhenny's descendants would turn Tabasco into a gold mine and an icon of pop culture, making it as recognisable as far bigger brands such as Coca-Cola and Kleenex.To this day, the McIlhenny Co., still run by a family of matchless characters who believe in a rigid code of family loyalty, clings to tradition and the old ways of doing business. Yet by fiercely protecting its beloved brand and refusing to sell out to big food conglomerates, this family business has run circles around its competitors, churning out annual revenues that have surpassed everyone's expectations. A satisfying read for business buffs, McIlhenny's Gold is the untold story of the continuing success of an eccentric, private company; a lively history of one of the most popular consumer products of all times.

$16.81

Quantity

20+ in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 272
Edition: Reprint
Publisher: HarperBus
Published: 15 Oct 2008
ISBN 10: 0060721855
ISBN 13: 9780060721855

Media Reviews

[T]he history of Tabasco and its creators, the McIlhenny family, makes for a spicy...tale, and Jeffrey Rothfeder serves it up nicely. -- BusinessWeek [T]he unembellished saga of the McIlhenny clan is a tale that needs no seasoning. -- Portfolio [B]alanced and always entertaining. -- Publishers Weekly These days, Tabasco is nearly as ubiquitous as butter and as quotidian as salt and pepper-and this book chronicles that progression in equal parts business story and Faulknerian family saga. -- Forbes Rothfeder manages to tell a compelling story of single-minded product marketing, Southern social history and slavery, and the challenges endemic to all family firms. -- Library Journal From its legendary invention in the months after the Civil War, to the carefully guarded recipe and production and the tightly controlled employees' town in the Louisiana swamps, Rothfeder looks at the extraordinary journey of a family from rags to riches. -- History

Author Bio

A former BusinessWeek editor and national editor at Bloomberg News, Jeffrey Rothfeder has written for publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post and has appeared on 20/20, Nightline, Today, Good Morning America, and Oprah. He lives in Cortlandt Manor, New York.