Declaring the Sriracha Factory a Public Nuisance Could Move Them to Texas.
Sriracha hot pepper sauce, or affectionately know as Rooster sauce has been in the news for the last few months. They have faced a public relations nightmare when it was reported that the plant was spewing noxious gases from their facility that was affecting the local residents. They do use powerful jalapeno chiles to make the Sriracha Rooster sauce so it didn’t shock me that the waste products in the form of water vapor was being released into the air.
Welcome to the U.S. Judicial System
Los Angeles California court judge on Tuesday, November 26, 2013, ordered the partial shutdown of the California factory as reported by The Guardian. This successful company, founded by Vietnamese immigrant and self-made millionaire David Tran, achieved it’s success and widespread success due to word of mouth. People loved the stuff and the product went mainstream, thus finding it’s way onto mainstream supermarkets across the country David Tran was used to positive word of mouth and this lawsuit woke him up to the power of a few unhappy neighbors and the power of negative words and now lawsuits.
Shutdown eminent?
Because of the threat to shut down the entire factory was very possible, Sriracha Rooster sauce became a widely sought and hoarded “commodity.” Bottles were put up for sale on Ebay and people were demanding stupid money for them, one moron even asking $10,000 for a single packet. People were literally buying shopping carts full of Sriracha Rooster sauce bottles and ignoring every other product in the store. This reminded me of the Twinkies announcement that Hostess was no longer making the wonderful spongy cake with the banana filling and the subsequent hoarding. A public hearing is schedule by the city council for mid May but a postponement is probable as they seek an amicable resolution. Sriracha Rooster sauce has been produced for many years at it’s current location and Mr. Tran has been quoted by Reuters News, “We’re still here,” Tran said. “I’ve lived in California for 34, 35 years now. I’m not planning to move.”
Alternatives for Sriracha Rooster sauce
Dallas area State Representative, Jason Villalba and a team of Texas state officials toured the Sriracha Rooster sauce on Monday, May 12, 2014 as reported by WFAA, 8 News an affiliate of ABC . The visit was to let Mr. Tran know that Texas was a very favorable place to move the factory and discussed the incentives that Texas offered highlighting the fact that Texas didn’t have any personal income tax. Mr. Tran was obviously warm to the idea because Monday outside his factory, there was the State flag of Texas blowing in the California sun. Mr. Tran said that the only thing that would impede such a move would be the availability of the hybrid jalapeno pepper that is grown especially for him by a local California grower.
Pack your bags, we going to Texas
This could very well be the newspaper headline in a few weeks. The city council wants to rule on an ordinance declaring the Sriracha Rooster sauce a public nuisance, in effect, closing the plant and laying off it’s workforce. This closure would also affect the farmers who supply the factory with jalapenos and the people that deliver the product to the supermarket shelves and the consumer losing one of their favorite condiments. Texas realizes the amount of jobs that this factory can account for and also the fact that Governor Rick Perry has been very active and vocal touting Texas as a business friendly state. His would be a huge feather in the cap of Texas and a black mark on California.
Not in my backyard
Just another case where a few people who subscribe to the “not in my backyard” and ignore the ramifications of their actions on another group of people, mainly the factory workers and the growers that are dependent on Sriracha Rooster sauce as the way they put bread and butter on their table. No one knows how this will play out, but for the sake of California, I hope they realize it is time for states to welcome businesses, not find ways to shutdown long established ones.
JibbJabber 