From Humble Beginnings to SBA Legacy Recipient

TIPTON, PA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is honoring the DelGrosso Family of Companies as one of its 70th Anniversary Legacy businesses, celebrating them for their longevity, growth, and economic impact. The DelGrosso family will be recognized during a special presentation, Aug. 24.

“This is an amazing acknowledgement,” said Michael DelGrosso, chief sales and marketing officer, “My grandparents would have been very, very honored.”

Over the past 76 years, a local home-made pasta sauce evolved into the DelGrosso Family of Companies with businesses focused on pasta sauce, an amusement and water park, and fundraising. Today, all DelGrosso business sectors are flourishing. Their sauces are on grocery shelves in every state and tens of thousands visit their park every summer.

“We’re so proud to honor the DelGrosso Family of Companies as one of the SBA’s 68 Legacy businesses,” said SBA Western Pa. District Director Dr. Kelly Hunt. “DelGrosso’s truly exemplifies a successful family-owned and operated rural small business.”

The national recognition marks the SBA’s 70th anniversary as the only federal agency dedicated to supporting small businesses and keeping them competitive. Small businesses, like DelGrosso’s, are paramount to a successful national economy. In Pennsylvania, 99.6 percent of all businesses are small and employ 46.2 percent of the commonwealth’s workforce.

Hunt added the family dream, coupled with community and SBA support, enabled DelGrosso’s to become America’s oldest major family-owned pasta sauce producer. “Whether at dinner or at their amusement park, their vision is enabling families and friends to gather and create memories – all while providing the community with good-paying employment opportunities, civic pride and numerous charitable donations,” she said.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

DELGROSSO FOODS MARKS GRAND OPENING OF NEW SAUCE PLANT

Tipton, PA, May 10, 2023 – DelGrosso Foods Inc., America’s oldest major family-owned producer of pasta sauce, celebrates the grand opening of a new food processing plant that will double the company’s previous capacity and allow for the production of new food products. The facility, located at 198 Kristel Lane, Altoona, was previously the home of the Cenveo commercial envelope factory which ceased operations in 2018. Since purchasing the 166,000-square-foot building four years ago, the site has been a hive of activity that began with gutting, refitting, and eventually installing state-of-the-art sauce making equipment.

The new plant brings capabilities to produce new products outside the company’s traditional tomato-based offerings. The installation of six large “retort” machines, which act as pressure vessels to ensure product stability and safety, will allow DelGrosso Foods to pack Alfredo sauces, cheese dips, and other items for a number of different brands and retailers. While the company built its name on the original DelGrosso pasta sauce brand starting in 1947, the largest component of the company’s recent growth has come from contract packing. DelGrosso produces over 300 stock and custom formulas for dozens of “private label” customers, which include major grocery chains and several national pasta sauce and salsa brands.

Joe DelGrosso, CEO and second-generation family member stated, “We’ve had numerous requests from many of our contract packing customers over the past decade to produce Alfredo sauces and other items that were, until now, beyond our capabilities. With a big financial commitment by our family and a massive effort by our startup team, we are now able to expand our product and customer base to new levels. It’s a very exciting time for the company and for our community.”

The new $60 Million+ facility will employ an additional fifty people and will operate in parallel with the “red sauce” plant, just five miles away in Tipton. While the company does not disclose the names of its contract packing customers, they represent some of the world’s most respected food companies and grocery chains. As for new products under the DelGrosso brand, shoppers can expect a selection of Alfredo sauces added to the Original DelGrosso lineup later this year.

Matt DelGrosso, COO and third-generation family member led the new plant construction efforts, startup team formation, and gradual ramp-up of complex equipment testing and early operation. “We couldn’t ask for a better group of hard-working, conscientious team members to get us where we are today. “With any undertaking as massive as this, there are always unexpected challenges, delays, and hurdles, and our team has faced it all with determination and a great deal of pride,” said Matt DelGrosso.

“DelGrosso’s expansion is among the largest single business expansions ever in Blair County,” said Stephen McKnight, President and CEO of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation. “Locally born and rooted family businesses are the backbone of our economy. We are grateful for DelGrosso’s continued investment and job creation impact and appreciate the support of our state and local officials in critical projects like this,” McKnight added.

DelGrosso Foods New Sauce Plant By The Numbers

• 166,000-square-foot facility (production and warehouse)
• Over 50 Jobs created
• Producing approx. 450-500 jars of sauce per minute / approximately 200,000 jars per day
• 3 Million Pounds of Cheese per year
• 1 Million Pounds of Cream per year
• 100,000 Pounds of Butter per year

About DelGrosso Foods, Inc.: DelGrosso Foods, Inc. is the oldest major family-owned producer of pasta sauce in the U.S., tracing its roots to 1914 and an Italian immigrant’s old-world recipe for pasta sauce. Ferdinand and Mafalda DelGrosso formalized the production of the sauce for retail sale beginning in 1947. DelGrosso Foods is still family-owned and operated, and DelGrosso products are still manufactured in central PA, where the story began. Their line of ultra-premium pasta sauces, La Famiglia DelGrosso, can now be found at most major grocers across the United States. The family also owns and operates DelGrosso’s Park and Laguna Splash, as well as Marianna’s Fundraisers. For more information, visit www.delgrossos.com.

DelGrosso Foods, Franco Harris Introduce IMMACULATE MARINARA

TIPTON, PA, October 5, 2022 – DelGrosso Foods Inc., America’s oldest major family-owned producer of pasta sauce, is teaming up with NFL legend Franco Harris to mark the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” voted the No. 1 play in NFL history in multiple polls and surveys. Franco’s Immaculate Marinara is a special-edition label from DelGrosso Foods, prominently displaying the NFL Hall of Famer’s image on the jar and calling out the product’s charitable focus of “50 cents per jar to charity.” Franco’s Immaculate Marinara is expected to be available for a limited time at select retailers in central and western Pennsylvania later this fall.

The Immaculate Reception occurred during the December 23, 1972 Super Bowl playoff game, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, against the Oakland Raiders. It has been widely recognized as the most memorable play in football history. On a fourth down with just 22 seconds to play, the Steelers attempted a final, game-saving pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw, which was deflected, and would have ended Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl hopes. However, from seemingly out of nowhere, rookie running back Franco Harris scooped up the ball just before it could hit the ground and ran for a game-winning touchdown.

Franco Harris, the son of an Italian-born mother and African American father, developed a fan base with the nickname “Franco’s Italian Army.” The young running back developed a relationship with the DelGrosso family in the 1970s, and even starred in a TV commercial, alongside his mother, promoting DelGrosso pasta sauce. The Harris-DelGrosso friendship has remained for nearly five decades, so when Franco approached the DelGrosso family with the idea to raise money for Pittsburgh charities coinciding with the 50th year of the Immaculate Reception, the DelGrosso’s were all in.

Joe DelGrosso, CEO of DelGrosso Foods, says “Franco’s idea was to do something special for the anniversary of the Immaculate Reception that would benefit his community. The Immaculate Marinara is the result of that endeavor, and to celebrate 50 years, we are donating 50 cents of each jar sold to Pittsburgh-based charities that Franco has designated, including the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. We think this will be a collector’s item for many Steelers fans, and we are honored to be part of it.”

Harris appreciates the opportunity to use the occasion to benefit the community, saying “It’s great to take an event that’s significant to the Steelers community and use it to raise money for organizations doing good and important work. With a great sauce, a worthy cause, and an anniversary celebration, we have all the right ingredients.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers recently announced that they will retire Harris’ No. 32 jersey during a halftime ceremony at the December 24th primetime game vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. The Steelers will wear a commemorative Immaculate Reception patch on their team jerseys to honor the 50th anniversary of the event.
Although specific retailers have yet to be named, DelGrosso Foods expects that the Immaculate Marinara will most likely be available at grocers located in areas of Pennsylvania with the highest concentration of Steelers fans.

If you would like to purchase these commemorative jars----please visit https://shopsuperbakery.com/

DelGrosso foods sponsors pbs documentary “THE italian americans”

Tune in to PBS on February 17th and 24th to watch "The Italian Americans". This four hour TV documentary chronicles four generations of Italian-American lives. LaFamiglia DelGrosso is proud to be a sponsor of this TV series.

Learn More, visit PBS
http://www.pbs.org/the-italian-americans/home/

Southern Hospitality at the Charleston Food & Wine Festival

We’ll be showing a little southern hospitality at the Charleston Food & Wine Festival this weekend when we serve up La Famiglia DelGrosso meatballs to thousands of visitors.  If you have friends in The Palmetto State, have them stop by the Grand Tasting Event to see the DelGrosso family this Friday-Sunday!

More info at http://charlestonwineandfood.com/

join La Famiglia delgrosso in the nation’s capitAl nov 8 - 9th for the 2014 metro cooking dc Show

Join Us this weekend at MetroCooking DC’s Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show from November 8-9, 2014 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The two day culinary and entertaining event brings together more than 18,000 consumers to shop, dine and drink. Hope to see you there!

Learn More, visit Metro Cooking DC
www.metrocookingdc.com