Salvatore Ferrara came to America from Nola, Italy in 1900 and founded Ferrara Pan Candy Company in 1908 in Chicago, Illinois. At the time of his immigration from Italy, Mr. Ferrara was skilled in the art of making Italian pastries and sugar coated candy almonds. Sugar coated candy almonds, otherwise known as "confetti", continues to be a tradition at Italian weddings. Salvatore Ferrara had become proficient in the English language. Since he was fluent in both English and Italian the Santa Fe Railroad hired him as an interpreter between crews and their foreman. He worked at the Santa Fe Railroad for four years. In 1908 he came to Chicago and opened a retail pastry and confection shop. From 1908 to 1919 the sugar coated almond business experienced substantial growth and Mr. Ferrara was shipping to an extensive market in the Midwest.

Don Miguel Mexican Foods manufactures and sells refrigerated and frozen Mexican meals and snacks for the retail market. Its products include frozen burritos, tacos, quesadillas, taquitos, tamales, party trays, and family-style dinner entrees, all of which are sold under the Don Miguel brand name. Don Miguel Mexican Foods company's manufacturing facility is in Dallas (it closed the Anaheim, California plant in 2006). Don Miguel is owned by private investment firm TSG Consumer Partners (formerly The Shansby Group).

McKee acquired Blue Planet in 1974. Blue Planet Foods provides the food-manufacturing industry with cereal blends, granola-bar bases, grain-based extruded products, and ingredients for bread bases, as well as donut and dessert toppings, and ready-bake pie crusts. Its bulk products include bulgur wheat, granola, granola cereals, oat bran, and steel-cut oats. Blue Planet Foods also makes breakfast cereals and pie crusts for retail sale under the brand name Heartland, as well as pie crusts under the Hearty Life label. It offers private-label manufacturing and co-packing services to its customers.

QAF Limited is an investment holding and management company. The principal activities of QAF Company consist of the manufacture and distribution of bread, bakery and confectionery products; provision for warehousing logistics for food items; trading and distribution of food and beverages; production, processing and marketing of meat; feedmilling and sale of animal feeds and related ingredients; production, processing and sale of dairy products, and manufacture and sale of fruit juice-concentrate and investment holding. QAF Company operates in five segments: food manufacturing, bakery, primary production, trading and logistics and investments and others. As of May 6, 2009, QAF Limited announced that its interest in Australian incorporated joint venture company, Diamond Valley Pork Pty Ltd (DVP), has increased from 51% to 80%.

John & Sarah Hill started business with a shop in Dukinfield in 1855 and over the next few years expanded the baking side in a relatively small way to compliment the general Grocery & Provisions supplies.In 1889 the manufacturing business started to develop on a much larger scale and in 1894 the foundation stone for Tudno Mill in Ashton under Lyne, which still houses the bakery, was laid by Sarah Hill. The business continued to flourish and became a limited company in 1906.From that date onwards John Hill & Co, whose name would eventually change to Hill Biscuits, passed through a number of ownerships including John Mackintosh & Co. which in turn was to be purchased in 1969 by Rowntrees.When Rowntrees made the decision to sell Hill Biscuits in 1980 Don Bennett took the opportunity to lead a management buy in and return the company to private ownership. The company remains in private ownership today and the Management Board is proud to maintain many of the family values associated with Hill Biscuits over the years meaning the business of today is a successful blend of high volume production capability and traditional baking methods.Supported by further investment and an ongoing development programme the company intends to continue to build on its heritage and longstanding reputation.In 2007 a review of the Hill product offering resulted in new packaging and product developments which has led to increased distribution and a renewed awareness of the quality and value that the company name represents.

Peet's Coffee & Tea enjoys the daily grind. The company owns and operates about 190 coffee shops in California and half a dozen other states offering java lovers about 25 types of whole bean and fresh ground coffee, including about 15 blends. Its teas run the spectrum from India black to herbal blends. The stores also offer fresh brewed coffee, biscotti, and other pastries, along with mugs and brewing equipment. In addition to its retail operation, Peet's sells coffee through retail grocery chains such as Safeway and Whole Foods, and through its own online mail order operation. The company also supplies coffee to foodservice operators.

The year is 1924. Tucked away in a small rock home on a quiet road in a small rural Texas town called Mansfield, Mildred Dalton is busy in her kitchen making pastries and pies. Her husband, Jessie Otis Dalton, operates a one-room grocery store in Fort Worth, Texas. Each day he takes to work with him more of her pastry creations and merchandises them alongside other food items for sale. Times are tough and extra money is needed. Mildred and Jessie have 3 children to care for. Mildred is using a lot of egg whites for pastry meringues, but hardly any of the leftover egg yolks, so she decides to use the egg yolks and begins making homemade mayonnaise.Before long Mildred's mayonnaise is a best seller in the Fort Worth grocery store and a favorite amongst family friends. In fact it is such a hit that neighbors begin to pay for it, and grocery store customers call in orders ahead of time to make sure that product is available. Mildred decides to compliment the popular mayonnaise by making an equally impressive homemade sandwich spread. This item, however, requires pickle relish as a main ingredient. As such, a relish supplier is secured but he soon raises prices to what are considered ridiculously high levels. Jessie and Mildred are left with no other option but to plant a pickle patch in their home garden. The ensuing harvest is so abundant that the family begins packing pickles.

Meridian Nut Growers is the sales and marketing arm for a group of California growers and processors of almonds, walnuts, pistachios as well as a variety of other nuts and dried fruits. In addition, we work with South African growers and processors to supply the highest quality Macadamia nuts in the world.We supply large volumes of high quality nuts and dried fruit products to customers worldwide for use in the snacking, baking, confectionery and manufacturing industries. We understand the needs of customers and match that need with the right product and the right supplier. No matter what the customer's needs; from Hong Kong to Hamburg, Meridian Nut Growers is here to serve them. Our primary focus is on users that need the services of a major nut producer but like a more personal touch. We also specialize in high quality specifications and use every tool at our disposal to give the customer the product they desire.We strive to be the bridge between growers and users of dried fruits and nuts. While we are customer oriented, we never forget that without growers, we would not exist. We believe that while looking out for our customers, we can look out for our growers best interests as well.

Royal Rose has found its niche growing produce normally found in the fields of Italy. The California company grows and markets such Tuscan treats as radicchio, treviso, frisee, and other specialty leafy vegetables under the Royal Rose brand. Its products are primarily used in packaged salad mixes sold in grocery stores, although it does sell some of its items pre-bagged. It also sells produce to foodservice customers. The company, which says it is the largest radicchio grower in the world, was formed in 1993 by Italian growers Lucio Gomiero and Carlo Boscolo, and California growers John Tamagni and A.W. Johnson & Son.

Multiple Organics, Inc. was formed in 2002 by President Dave Lanstein. Multiple Organics provides a multitude of naturally grown food ingredients. Multiple Organics company supplies bulk organic beans and legumes, dried fruit, seeds, grains, nuts, sweeteners, and other products to health food manufacturers. It serves customers in Canada and the US from warehouses in California, New York, and New Jersey. Multiple Organics purchases crops from farmers around the globe.

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