A Quick History
Carl Roettele and his wife open a small canning plant in Elsa, Texas, processing over 25K cases of vegetables a year. The product they’re proudest of is their tomatoes and green chilies. Worried people couldn’t spell or pronounce “Roettele,” Carl used the name RO*TEL. Soon, his zesty tomatoes and chilies graced the tables of public figures and politicians throughout Texas.
Originally, RO*TEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies were only shipped as far away as San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. They were the biggest cities closest to the town of Elsa, which is at the bottom tip of the state.Cans of RO*TEL had made their way to Oklahoma and Arkansas by the mid-1950s. The news about RO*TEL Tomatoes and Chilies was slowly starting to spread its way around the USA.
Because the original RO*TEL Whole and Diced varieties proved to be so popular, Hot and Mild were added to the product line, along with Mexican. RO*TEL still holds firmly to the belief that quality is paramount in making a great- tasting product. That’s why only the reddest, ripest tomatoes and the zestiest chilies make the final cut.