Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/479683
FBA-14 Hartford Business Journal • October 13, 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com 2nd Place Winner 2nd Place Winner CATEGORY: 76-169 full-time employees CATEGORY: more than 170 full-time employees 2014 Connecticut Family Business Awards 2014 Connecticut Family Business Awards Carla's Pasta Inc. Fairfield Processing Corporation What are the family values of your business, and how do they help you remain competitive in the market? Carla started her business using flavors from home. Her sons share the passion for fresh ingredients and the art of pasta. The commitment to authentic Italian cuisine is a driving force of its work in Carla's state- of-the-art facility. This passion makes it the industry's most versatile frozen pasta manufacturer. What would your founder say about the state of your company today and its achievements in the last year? Carla's Pasta is positioned to embrace new projects that improve the availability of quality food throughout the U.S. and Can- ada. In the past year, we have completed a 30,000-square-foot expansion. Carla's sons are instrumental in bringing innovation to the frozen food market, allowing our busi- ness to flourish. What are the family values of your business, and how do they help you remain competitive in the market? Our unconditional product guarantee is our commitment to our customers' supreme satisfaction, and that guarantee is backed by 75 years and three generations of dedica- tion, perseverance, integrity, and love that goes into every product. From philanthropy to civic responsibility, our family's business has embraced the true sense of community. What would your founder say about the state of your company today and its achievements in the last year? My grandfather, Sam Young, would say that while our company has diversified and scaled significantly, we have stayed true to our core products and consumers. Through partnerships with customers like Walmart, who foster American manufacturing, we have been able to keep jobs stateside and con- tinue to produce award-winning products. What is the biggest challenge to your business in the coming year? Our biggest challenge is staying focused on our core business while pursuing inno- vations and new markets. We have spent 75 years building the Poly-fil brand, and it has become so widely used, some are arguing it's generic. We will work diligently to protect the integrity and validity of this trademark and brand. STATS: Location: South Windsor Industry: Food Manufacturing Founded: 1978 Founder: Carla Squatrito Generation Currently Running Company: 1st & 2nd Full-Time Employees: 147 Family Members Currently Employed at Company: Carla Squatrito (mother), president; Sandro Squatrito (son), vice president of business development; Sergio Squatrito (son), vice president of operations Company Website: carlaspasta.com STATS: Carla, generations of family, and local politicians cut the ribbon on the company's latest state-of- the-art facility. Carla Squatrito and Johnny DiDonato making pasta in their first retail store in 1981. The entire Carla's Pasta family outside its South Windsor location. (Above) Roy Young (left), who ran the business as president from 1980-2008; Jordan Young (right), who took over as president in 2008; Sam Young (center), named after the company's founder. (Left) The Fairfield Processing Corporation headquarters in Danbury. Location: Danbury Industry: Textile and Home Decor Manufacturing and Retail/Wholesale Distribution Founded:1940 Founder: Sam Young (grandfather) Generation Currently Running Company: 3rd Full-Time Employees:170 Family Members Currently Employed at Company: Roy Young, (father), chairman; Jordan Young (son), president; Shannon Young (son), facilities/property manager Company Website: www.Fairfieldworld.com