2 Sisters Salsa opens new production facility

 

   An item that has become a table treat for many in this parish and elsewhere celebrated a new home when 2 Sisters’ Salsa held the grand opening of its new plant on La. Hwy 107 in Plaucheville.
   With the upgrade in production capacity, the company that started in the owners’ kitchens can now churn out 5,000 jars of its salsa each day.
   The Deshotels and Bordelon families were lifelong friends who had been cooking together for years when an unexpected bumper crop of tomatoes inspired them to create their first Cajun salsa. After tweaking the ingredients and testing it on friends, they decided to try bottling and selling it under the “2 Sisters’” name -- inspired by the fact that both families have two daughters.
   Before long, they were taking in more orders than they could produce in their own kitchen, so they began using a borrowed industrial kitchen to keep up with demand. Eventually, they decided to build their own facility to enable the company to continue growing.
   “What started out as a fun way to spend time with friends and teach our daughters about business has become a full-time job and adventure for all of us,” said Jason Bordelon, one of the owners.
   The 6,200-square-foot facility increases production from the previous operation by 400 percent. It is certified by the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Food and Drug Administration. It is the only automated food processing facility in Avoyelles Parish.
It is fully equipped with a cutter feed conveyor, dicer, three 150-gallon steam kettles, food pump and filler, a cap tightener, induction sealer, labeling system, automatic taper and an ink jet coder.
   “The facility was built for the present and future,” said part-owner Patrick Deshotels. “We can meet current demand, but we can also expand further in the years to come.”