The year was 1955. America was still recovering from the effects of WWII. There were no golden arches and the term "fast food" wasn't yet in the English lexicon.

Women had entered the workplace during the war and discovered life outside the home. They also discovered the overwhelming challenge of preparing family meals from scratch after working all day in the factory.

That was also the year Grace Grissom, a young Knoxville, Tennessee secretary, dreamed about owning her own business. One of Grace's friends had a small, struggling company nearby that made prepared sandwich spreads and sold them through local grocery stores. Grace instinctively knew this was the business she had dreamed of starting.

Grace, and husband Herbert, became business partners with their friends and before long were making major improvements in the way the products were made and sold. Within a year, the Grissoms bought out their partners and Mrs. Grissom's Salads was born.

Since then, Mrs. Grissom's Salads have spanned the spectrum from from local neighborhood groceries to Wal-Mart Super Centers. While the method of distribution has changed, one thing has remained constant over the past 47 years. That's Grace Grissom's uncompromising commitment to quality and old fashion goodness.

Mrs. Grissom remains active in the business today and is loved, admired, and respected by all who know her. She was recently honored by NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) for her outstanding record of achievement.

"My husband and I worked day and night to build the business and loved every single minute of it," smiled Mrs. Grissom as she reminisced about the company's early days. "I still enjoy coming in and working. Of course, I leave the 18 hour days up to the younger folks now," she laughs.

Today, when you pick up a container of Mrs. Grissom's Salads, you can be sure you are getting the same goodness and quality that Mrs. Grissom's customers have been eating up for almost 50 years.

Click here for a list of Mrs. Grissom's retailers.