The Piraino family had already built one successful enterprise from scratch. Today DePalo Foods is being run by Gianni, Joseph and Philip Piraino. Enrico Piraino their father and uncle has spent his 39 years in the manufacturing business “I felt like I had something left to give,” he explained. “I believed we had an opportunity to build another successful company and felt confident that the next generation could also achieve the success I enjoyed.”
When Piraino took the helm of the newly renamed DePalo Foods, he brought in the next generation of family members to learn the business he hopes they will run in the future. He also transformed the business to focus on the products that would appeal to consumers – pizza dough, calzones, Stromboli’s and pinwheels.
Today, the next generation is playing a vital role in the growth of DePalo Foods. Enrico’s nephew Gianni supervises all administrative functions at the growing manufacturer which currently employs about 50 people. Philip oversees operations while Joseph’s focus is on sales.
And sales have been strong over the last few years, helped by the introduction of new products. About 80 percent of DePalo Foods’ business is retail-driven and its portfolio includes about 25 SKUs with calzone and Stromboli items leading the way.
The company services retailers nationally. DePalo’ s products are merchandise in the prepared foods/pizza deli area.
When asked why the family-owned firm has enjoyed continued success since it was transformed almost a decade ago, Joseph Piraino said, “There are two primary reasons. It begins and ends with quality. We slice our meats daily; our cheeses are shredded daily before use; and our pizza dough is aged which allows the fermentation to add flavor to the products. It’s also the quality of our people, we try to run DePalo Foods with a caring, family-type approach that extends to all of our associates.”
As the business continues to grow, DePalo Foods has ambitious plans going forward. It hopes to double the size of its current facility in suburban Belmont, NC later this year which would allow the company to ramp up production and seek new customer targets.
One of those channels is convenience stores, for which Joseph Piraino believes DePalo’ s product line would be ideal for grab and go business. Also, on the agenda later this year is a rollout of several new items.
While product quality and the contributions of its associates are key components to the growth of DePalo Foods, there’s no doubt the entrepreneurial skills and old school values of Enrico Piraino continue to play an important role in driving the company to new heights.