David Pace grew up in
Louisiana, learning the operations of his family's
syrup business. He earned a
football scholarship to
Tulane University, where he played in the first
Sugar Bowl in 1937 and earned his undergraduate degree in science. During
World War II pilot training school brought him to
San Antonio,
Texas, where he returned after his discharge in 1945 and began a career in the
food industry. Pace began his own food business of bottled syrups, as well as
jellies and
jams. All of these products were made, packed and shipped out of a small space in the back of a liquor store that he and his wife, Margaret, rented. Over time, he expanded the business to a variety of other
condiments. In 1947 he decided the real "syrup of the Southwest" was Mexican picante sauce—which is now known as
salsa or picante sauce. Starting with a basic recipe, he experimented with different blends of ingredients. He tested the results on his golf buddies, before settling on one mix of
jalapeños,
onions and
tomatoes. He named his creation "picante" sauce—
Spanish for "piquant", meaning "flavorful" or "spicy". While continuing to sell some 58 assorted condiments, he continued modifying his picante sauce formula for the better part of a decade. As demand grew, Pace dropped the rest of the company's lines and focused on Picante sauce. He marketed Picante sauce to restaurants, using it during his meals, and leaving it behind on the table for other patrons and the restaurant owners to try when he was done. Using a $150,000 loan from Margaret's mother, the couple expanded and built their production facility in 1951. Linda and Kit divorced in 1987 and in 1989, Kit purchased his ex-wife's portion of Pace and became the sole owner. Goldsbury had worked at Pace since 1969. As sole owner, he increased the sales of the product including pushing the brand nationally, expanding the product line, modernizing manufacturing and using novel advertising. Campbell Soup Company acquired Pace Foods in 1995.
Chili pepper development When he started selling his salsa, Pace looked for a supplier for peppers. He tried growing his own jalapeños, but deer would continually eat them, reducing his supply. Eventually, he began buying his peppers directly from local farmers. Later, the company began following the "jalapeño trail", buying from different regions according to the harvest season, before developing their own pepper seeds. Today it uses more than 25 million pounds of jalapeños every year—more than anyone else in the country. The company produces half a million pounds of the sauce daily as of the 1990s. ==Lines==