Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1498057
MAY 1, 2023 | HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | 2023 FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS B9 2023 FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS CATEGORY WINNER: 76 OR MORE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES Ragozzino Foods Inc. Meriden Industry: Food Manufacturer, Private Label and Custom Year Founded & Founder: 1953, Joseph A. Ragozzino Family Members Currently Employed at Company: Nancy Ragozzino, President, sibling; John Ragozzino, Vice President, sibling; Ellen Sattler, VP Purchasing & Distribution, sibling; Susan Darin, Corporate Secretary/VP Product Development, sibling; Scott Sattler, General Manager, grandson/nephew. Generation Currently Running Company: 2nd Full-Time Employees: 130 Part-Time Employees: 2 Website: www.ragozzino.com Ragozzino Foods is a custom, private- label food manufacturer producing frozen prepared entrées, side dishes and meal components for national retailers, restaurant chains and military contractors. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. Through COVID, we maintained our supply chain and because of our commitment to deliver quality products with no interruption, we grew our business 20%. What are your family values and how do they contribute to your business success? We were taught from a young age the importance of hard work and delivering quality products to enhance the lives of our customers and their consumers. We pride ourselves on the best possible quality, great taste and customer service, and support our extended family of associates so they are as dedicated to these qualities as we are. Where do you see your business in the next five years? Our goal is to modernize the business and prepare for the transition to the third generation. CATEGORY WINNER: 76 OR MORE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES Lexington Partners LLC Hartford Industry: Commercial Real Estate Year Founded & Founder: 1981, Maurice Kenny Family Members Currently Employed at Company: Martin J. Kenny, Founder and Owner and his children: Patrick C. Kenny, Senior Vice President; Kevin F. Kenny, Vice President; and Mallory (Kenny) Williams, Social Media Manager Generation Currently Running Company: 2nd Full-Time Employees: 125 Part-Time Employees: 1 Website: www.Lexingtonct.com Lexington Partners LLC is a vertically integrated real estate company specializing in development, property management, construction management and commercial brokerage with a focus on multifamily and mixed-use properties. The company was founded by Maurice Kenny in 1981. His son, Martin Kenny, transitioned ownership to Lexington Partners LLC shortly after Maurice Kenny's retirement in 1994. Tell us a bit about your recent accomplishments. Since 2005, Lexington has developed, owned and operates more than 1,350 apartments in 10 different communities in Hartford County alone for a value of $400 million. Lexington is wrapping up one of its largest development projects, the conversion of a former convent into 292 market- rate apartment units in West Hartford (One Park Apartments), which will be fully open this summer. Since 2018, Lexington has purchased more than 2,000 existing apartment units in Connecticut and select markets in the Southeast U.S. — North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; suburban Atlanta, Georgia; Colombia, South Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee — executing detailed value-add plans. Lexington Property Management (LPM) has grown exponentially, and today manages just under 4,000 apartment units and approximately 250,000 square feet of commercial space in Connecticut. Thank you! Ragozzino Foods was founded in 1952 by our parents, Joseph and Gloria Ragozzino. Our grandparents, Joseph and Anna Ragozzino, started out with a small neighborhood grocery store in the 1940's where they sold their famous recipe Spaghetti Sauce. We proudly continue our family's tradition and commitment to providing the finest quality food products available to our loyal customer base. Today we operate as a custom/private label food manufacturer serving national restaurant chains and retailers, celebrity chefs, military contractors and other food manufacturers. We are proud to have welcomed our nephew, Scott Sattler, this past year as our General Manager. We know this third generation blood is just what we need to keep our success going into the future with fresh new ideas! The original store in 1940 We are extremely proud to be the recipient of the Hartford Business Journal Family Business Award. We owe much of our success to our dedicated, extended family of over 130 talented associates, many who have been with us for several years. Food is love and we feel all of us at Ragozzino's put that love into every single product we make.