Here's one company's answer to irradiation--wonder how cost effective a "clean room" is.Perhaps he should be clued into another alternative--
Tuesday February 17, 6:25 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Celentano Announces Management Changes
New Management and Ownership at Celentano as Domenick
Celentano Retires
VERONA, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 1998-- Domenick A. Celentano has been
named President and CEO of Celentano Bros., Inc., manufacturers of all-natural frozen Italian
foods and fresh prepared meals.
He is succeeding his father, Domenick Celentano, who announced his retirement. Doris Celentano
is taking over as Vice President and Director of Administration. Doris and Domenick A. Celentano
are the sole owners of the company, continuing the trend of family ownership.
The elder Domenick will retain ownership of Celentano Stores, Inc., with one store located at 120
Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, NJ. ''When my father started the business 50 years ago, he began
with a retail store in Newark,'' said Domenick A. Celentano. ''After successfully expanding the
business and developing a reputation as a leading manufacturer of high quality, all-natural frozen
Italian food, he has come full circle and is once again concentrating on a small retail establishment
that offers Italian specialties.''
Two production plants, a high-tech clean room, as well as sales and marketing, will be directed
under new management, which will continue to forge new frontiers for the new company. While
frozen Italian food will remain an important commodity, Celentano plans to focus on all-natural,
fresh home meal replacement products. Under the guidance of Domenick A., the company has
been recognized as a leader in fresh, chilled products. Celentano has conceived and installed the
industry's only ''clean room'' for production and packaging of their fresh products. This creates a
virtually bacteria-free environment that enhances the shelf-life of the fresh product without the
use of chemicals, preservatives or irradiation.
Celentano is also restructuring the day-to-day operations of the company, with strategic
management changes and additions that will result in a more efficient and productive
administration. Marvin Zigman has joined the company as CFO. Zigman has over 30 years
experience in company management and management consulting. His relationship with Celentano
Bros., Inc. has spanned nine years.
Tom Finn, Director of National Sales, will also be expanding sales efforts in all product categories
including Original Recipes, Vegetarian Selects, Celentano Fresh and food service.
Tito DiVirgilio, who has been promoted to Manager of Product Resources, will be responsible for
the management of the two plants and the production line employees. He will continue to be
responsible for product sourcing, packaging and machinery.
''The new team is eager to move ahead, concentrating its efforts on our fresh business, which we
expect will double the size of our business before the turn of the century,'' said Celentano. ''We've
just received a sizable line of credit which we will use to expand the operation,'' he revealed,
emphasizing the fact that he sees a growing need for high quality, prepared meals that mimic
homemade.
Celentano has been actively researching the fresh prepared business for several years. In fact, the
company, in 1983, was offering fresh product to a local area supermarket chain long before the
''home meal replacement'' phrase was coined. In 1995, he put together a team of experts to
explore methods and options for production of an extended shelf-life fresh product. This study
resulted in Celentano's clean room, the only one of its kind. ''In the course of pursuing a method
for keeping our fresh product bacteria-free, I looked to other industries. While mimicking a
hospital operating room was a bit extreme, the methods and technology used in the
pharmaceutical field fit the bill,'' said Celentano. ''In the light of all the controversy surrounding
irradiated foods as well as the recent rash of contaminated meat, it has proven to be a wise
decision,'' he said, predicting that this type of clean room production will become an industry
standard within 10 years.
''I'm very proud of our organization,'' boasts Celentano. ''Many of our employees have been with
us for a very long time, in some instances we have generations of families. Each takes pride in his
work and is dedicated to producing high quality products. This commitment is an important factor
in our success. It is a formula we plan to keep,'' he concluded.
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