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.
