Colavita
 | |
| Private (family-owned) | |
| Industry | food processing |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Edison, New Jersey, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | John J Profaci (Founder), Enrico Colavita (Founder), Giovanni Colavita (CEO) |
| Products | Pasta, Olive Oil, Tomato Sauce, Soup, Vinegar, Wine |
| Revenue |
 $ 91.65 million (2013)[1] |
Number of employees | Approximately 80 (United States) |
| Website | http://www.colavita.com/ |
Colavita USA is a privately held, family operated Italian[2] company that produces and imports olive oil, dried pasta, vinegar, and various sauces, among other Italian food products.
History
Colavita USA was founded by John J Profaci, who, at the time, was a resident of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Profaci was introduced to Enrico Colavita in 1978 after Colavita came to the United States in search of someone who had knowledge on producing olive oil.[3] Profaci, who had been in the olive oil business for years, agreed to go into business with Colavita, and the business was born. Today, Colavita's output comprises roughly 9% of the total market. Colavita in Rome, Italy owns 80% of the United States importer.[4]
Partners
The following is a list of companies and their respective products distributed by Colavita in the United States:
- Tantillo Foods, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lemon and lime juices
- Cirio, Various jarred vegetables
- Riso Scotti, Rice
- San Benedetto, Beverages
- Rachel Ray Brand, Meat and vegetable stocks, salt and pepper grinders, extra virgin olive oil
- Fusco, Pasta
- Dal Raccolto, Regional and bronze die pasta, rice
- Sole~Vita, Olive oil soap
- Niasca Portofino, Beverages
Impact on the environment
In 2011, Colavita moved from Elizabeth, New Jersey to its current location in Edison, New Jersey. In 2012 the company invested in a 1-megawatt solar system involving the installation of nearly 3,000 photovoltaic panels on the building's roof, which spans over 100,000 square feet. This green initiative not only benefited the environment, but the company as well— Colavita draws nearly 90% of its required energy from the solar panels. A significant amount of this energy is used to power the bottling and warehouse operations, which are located on site. As a result, over 1,600 metric tons of annual carbon offsets and 3.5 million pounds of greenhouse gasses were reduced from the outputs that the building would have previously expended.[5]
Popular culture
Today, the company remains family-based as John Profaci Sr. works alongside his sons Anthony, John, and Robert. Enrico Colavita (now retired) passed the business to his nephew Giovanni, CEO of Colavita USA, as well as Giovanni's cousin Andre, CEO of Colavita Italy.