Sal recalls: Michael Bronner talks with Salvador Hernandez about his years at Dr. Bronner's.

Salvador Hernandez is Dr. Bronner's longest-serving employee. He was in charge of the factory for many years and even raised his family in a house adjacent to the old Escondido factory, which would later be used for corporate offices. Currently, he is the trainer for new factory supervisors, gets plenty of exercise, and enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and grandchildren.

Where did you grow up and what did you do before coming to America?

I grew up in Michoacán, in a small village called Chavinda. My father worked in the fields growing corn and beans, and I worked with him from the age of 5. When I finished high school, my father allowed me to work in my uncle's grocery store. I didn't know anything about working in a grocery store, but I learned a lot working from 5 am to 10 pm, six days a week. We didn't have calculators or cash registers, so we had to learn to do all the calculations in our heads. I came to America to earn enough money in 2 or 3 years to return and open my own store.

How did you come to Escondido?

In 1970 I came by bus with a cousin who had a visa. He had a friend who owned a grocery store in Oxnard who could give me a job. When we arrived in Tijuana, he left me with some friends and said he would be back in a week. Well, he didn't come back. So his friends, an elderly lady and her husband, felt sorry for me. It was the first time I had left my village, and Tijuana was frightening.

After some time I met my ex-wife. She was American and used to come to Tijuana once a week to visit me. Suddenly he started saying he didn't want to go anymore. "You have to cross, you have to cross," he kept telling me. So I paid $30 to have him take me and it only took 1 hour.

How did you meet my grandfather?

Every Friday, Dr. Bronner gave a lecture. All the employees were invited, and he talked about labels and other things. After the lecture, he took everyone out to dinner. My mother-in-law worked for him at that time as a product packer, handling items like barley malt sweetener, carrot calcium, and protein seasonings, and I went with her.

Dr. Bronner asked me where I was from and how I had gotten around. He asked me what I could do, and I told him everything. And driving a truck? I replied, "Well, I don't know how to drive a truck, but I can learn." I said my father-in-law was a truck driver and could teach me. Dr. Bronner said OK, and the following Monday I went to the factory with my father-in-law and we left.

What are some of the lessons from my grandfather that you cherish in your memory?

“I’m blind and you’re smart,” he told me. “I want to help you, but you have to help me. I’ll give you some advice: Never steal anything from me because sooner or later I’ll find out. When you need something, when you want something, come to me and I’ll help you, but never do anything in secret.” “You don’t need to tell me that,” I replied, “I don’t have that habit. And it’s funny because my uncle told me the same thing you’re telling me.”

How did you come to know who was in charge of the factory?

When I started working at the factory, they were essentially Mexican workers who barely spoke English, so Phyllis, who was in charge at the time, started using me as a translator. Gradually, he taught me how to handle the paperwork and gave me more responsibility. Sometimes when he was going to arrive late, he would put me in charge of opening the gate and giving instructions to the workers on what to do.

When she retired, Dr. Bronner hired another woman, but after a while he had to let her go. She was selling used metal, plastic, and cardboard without telling Dr. Bronner and keeping the money. Then she became responsible for payroll processing. Suddenly, Dr. Bronner asked me one day, “Do you know everyone who works here, and I want you to tell me their names?” So he told me everyone’s name, and the accountant wrote it all down. At the end, he asked me to confirm. “Anyone else?” he asked, and I said, “No.” “Are you sure?” he asked. “Yes,” I told her. Do you know what she was doing? She was paying her boyfriend by putting him on the payroll, but he doesn’t work here. After he let her go, I asked him, “And now, are they going to hire someone else to replace her?” He said, “No. You stay.”

I know you had a special relationship with my grandfather and that you almost saw him as your father. What is it that made you two so close?

He used to tell stories from when he was young. Like when he came to America and got a job in a factory in Chicago. How he slept in cardboard boxes and stuffed his pillow with scraps of plastic. And what Americans called him. Sometimes they called him names and even threw food at him if they didn't want him anymore. That's why he understood how Mexicans are sometimes called, the names they call us. Some people don't like us and ask why we don't go back to our country.

All of us who came from other countries came with a dream, we came to America in search of a better life. We hope things will improve in our homeland and that we can return. And I'm sure the same thing happened to him. He was very badly treated. Just like us.

Any advice for us?

You can't live only for work because otherwise you won't be able to cope. You have to disconnect. I have a lot of experience—you know you can talk to me whenever you want. I'm your Uncle Sal!

Fran was always there.

Shortly before passing away at age 95, Fran Pitrone spoke with Michael Bronner about his 55 years at Dr. Bronner's.

MB: Where did you grow up?

FP: Negaunee, Michigan, with a population of 5,000. The census counts never changed: when someone got pregnant, someone else left, so the count never changed. It was difficult during the Depression, but we never went hungry.

What was your job in Michigan?

I was a county supervisor from 1938 until 1941 when I retired. After the war, I did some work in the county as a supervisor of the surplus food warehouse.

How did you meet my grandfather?

We came here in 1960 and I found Escondido, with a population of 17,000. I said, “This little town is ideal. Let’s raise our children here.” Dom [husband] placed an ad in the newspaper, “Handyman. No job is too big or too small,” and his grandfather called him. He had some properties that needed repairs. Dom asked for $2 an hour. His grandfather said, “You’re hired!” and gave him $1 an hour in cash and $1 in soap. I ran errands for him—anything he asked me to do. It was only after Dom passed away that I started making labels and filling product.

Were they close?

I don't think anyone had as close a relationship with him as Don and I did. We enjoyed each other's company. Dr. Bronner seemed to have great respect for us. And I wasn't afraid to talk back to her. Sometimes he would call at 3:00 in the morning and say, "I want this or that done," until I put my foot down and told him, "If you call again before 6:00 in the morning, we're not going to answer the phone."

Another time, when my daughter Alexis got married at St. Mary's Church, I invited Dr. Bronner, and he said, “I’ll set up a table and give soap to everyone who comes to the wedding.” I said, “No, you won’t.” He asked, “Why not?” I said, “Because it’s my daughter’s day, not Dr. Bronner’s.” “Frances, you’re difficult to deal with sometimes,” he said. “Well,” I said, “so is the Doctor.” He laughed and said, “I guess I am too.”

What was the real Dr. Bronner like?

He was a good man; there was no one more honest than his grandfather. He also liked to laugh.

Would he also tell you about ABC Morals?

Nobody escaped the lecture. I told him, "You don't need to advertise it to us. We know how good it is." I think it's common sense. If people followed these teachings and put them into practice, we wouldn't have half the problems we have.

If you could speak to Dr. Bronner today, what would you say?

I would like to express my gratitude for the work he created for so many people, for staying with the company and making it the success it is, and for putting it in the right hands when he was no longer capable. He is a wonderful man and we love him very much for all of that.