Progresso's Slogans & Taglines

Progresso is an American food brand born from a Sicilian immigrant's dream of bringing authentic Italian flavours to his new home. Founded by Giuseppe Uddo in the early 1900s in New Orleans, the company began as an importing business for olive oil, tomato paste, and Italian cheeses. In 1927, Uddo merged with the Taormina family to form the Progresso Italian Food Corporation in New York. During World War II, when European imports became impossible, the company pivoted to domestic canning and bottling, opening a factory in Vineland, New Jersey, in 1942. To keep the plant busy through winter, workers began canning soups from family recipes scribbled on the walls, introducing America to minestrone, lentil, and split pea soup by 1949. The brand's enduring slogan, "Make it Progresso or Make it Yourself," captured its homemade authenticity. Acquired by General Mills in 2001, Progresso remains a symbol of immigrant entrepreneurial spirit and the enduring belief that a simple bowl of soup can carry the warmth of home across generations.