By Kathy Edwards McFarland, Special to the Reporter-News
Robert Gooch moved from a longtime family packing business to a highly successful sauces company.
Absolutely World Class built its business on its picante sauce, and now has expanded to barbecue sauce.
Robert Gooch started in the family business, Gooch Packing Company, at the age of 12, working part-time.
His business ethic and management style developed through his time as a commercial agriculture major at Texas A&M University, leading him back to the Abilene meat packing company and full-time work as one of Abilene’s major employers until 1986, when the plant was sold.
It was hard on Gooch. He knew the meat packing company, founded and owned by his father Burt D. “Pete” Gooch as a successful and profitable operation, only to be bought by a company in a leveraged buy-out. The parent company did not want to be saddled with a meat packing company, according to Gooch. So though it had been successful, employing about 550 people; it was the business was closed in 1990.
Gooch, now 72 years old, didn’t take to retirement, and began a new business in 1991, starting from scratch, as he puts it.
“I didn’t feel like retirement was a good thing and ran across a recipe developed by a professional cook that did great, so we bought it and refined it for 
commercial production,” said Gooch. “That recipe is our Absolutely Picante sauce.”
In 1998, the picante recipe won the gold medal at a picante cook-off in Weslaco, sponsored by Texas A&M. Gooch happily brags on the fact that the flavorful condiment is made with the freshest ingredients – vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh jalapenos and the best spices.
“Major companies use tomato paste and water in their production process to save money, we don’t,” said Gooch. “I’m interested in making the best product – not the cheapest.”
Gooch and his staff came up with the Absolutely Wild BBQ Sauce and its milder versions after a lot of experimenting.
“I think what makes it so popular is the three sources of ‘heat,’” said Gooch, who claims the secret is the chipotle. “I don’t think any other barbecue sauce use it as an ingredient.”
Though Gooch won’t reveal how large the Absolutely World Class Inc. operation is, he has described the enterprise as very small, employing about 20 people, and reports the company earns annual sales of less than $1 million.
But the distribution in grocery store chains throughout West Texas and brisk orders through the company Web site, www. absolutelyworldclass.com, are indications of the brand’s popularity.
Cindy Christy, Absolutely World Class plant manager, began managing the operation and developing expansion plans in June 2008.
“I have great expectations for the expansion,” said Christy, who has 25 years experience in production management, mainly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. “I would like to see our sales triple, maybe quadruple by the end of 2010.
Christy said a major part of the increased production may come from not only “expanding the brand,” but adding “co-packing” – meaning packaging the picante and barbecue under store brands.
“We have a lot of space in the building Robert owns, I’d say at least 25,000 (square feet), so we can bring in more equipment, possibly automate some of the production, and of course add more employees, so it wouldn’t be difficult at all,” said Christy.
Lana Zullo, Gooch’s youngest daughter, is currently in charge of shipping, and though married and raising three children, sees the new generation of Gooch family business as a source of pride and possibly further involvement.
“I saw my father and grandfather work, and how successfully they ran the packing company. I’d like to follow in their footsteps, if the opportunity arises at Absolutely World Class,” said Zullo.
Robert Gooch
Family: Janelle, wife of 49 years; three grown daughters and seven grandchildren.
Known for: Gooch Meat Packing Company, Absolutely Picante.
Developed/owns: Absolutely World Class, Inc. – producing Absolutely Wild BBQ Sauce, Mildly Wild BBQ Sauce, Absolutely Mild BBQ Sauce and the Absolutely Picante.
Employees: Less than 20
Product distribution area: Majority of grocery stores in West Texas and shipped to 36 states by special order.
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