Napoli Foods Inc.’s fleet of 40 tractor trucks, trailers and temperature-controlled straight trucks are kept in excellent working condition, the company notes.

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Food wholesaler and distributor Napoli Foods Inc. says it seeks to help smaller businesses gain an upper hand in the marketplace.

“Our focus is and has always been the support of the independent businesses who we sell to,” Vice President Mike Cipriano says. Napoli fosters hands-on relationships with its customers and sends them e-blasts on a regular basis to help them keep up with industry trends, Cipriano notes. Ultimately, he says, Napoli is concerned with the independent restaurant and grocer’s welfare.

Vice President of Operations Bill Nowak says the recession has actually helped independents survive, because it has lessened the power of big, corporate competitors. “In a recession, and with the absence of suffocating corporate overhead, big property leases and frozen packaged menus, there could not be a better opportunity for the little independent with the natural ingredient, home-cooked mentality to slug it out with the big chain goliath,” he says.

“This is a time for the independent to rise again, and Napoli Foods is partnered to provide the energy, expertise and product source in order to help its customers make it happen.”

Napoli is well-positioned to help its customers achieve this aim. Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, Cheshire, Conn.-based Napoli Foods has established itself as one of the largest wholesale importers and distributors in the Northeast. The company offers national and regional brands, as well as its own line of Napoli food products.

Bigger and Better
Napoli recently moved into a 130,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled facility – its fourth building since it was founded. Outfitted with a test-kitchen, training rooms and an expanded shipping dock, this new space better accommodates the company’s diverse products and allows for better internal controls, Cipriano says. “Now we have better ways to handle products, and we can place a keener focus on the temperature and quality of those products that we distribute,” Nowak says. “Our expanded working area gives us the necessary room to place more attention on the commodities that we receive and ship though our distribution center. Ample temperature-controlled space is a key factor in providing our customers with a fresh, accurate and well-packed delivery order.”

Vendors come in twice a month to educate Napoli’s sales team about their products. These sessions can entail anything from sampling food in the test kitchen to a lesson on garbage bags. Ultimately, it gives Napoli employees a better understanding of what they are giving to the customer. “I think we can give a better service to our customers this way,” Cipriano says. “We try to learn as much as we can.”

Napoli prides itself on operating a spotless facility, he adds. “We probably have the cleanest building I’ve ever been in,” he notes. “We take the cleanliness of our building very, very seriously. We pride ourselves in attempting to stay ahead of the curve relative to food safety and warehouse distribution.”

Working in such a clean and state-of-the-art building also sets a precedent for Napoli’s 80 employees, Cipriano says, motivating them to do their best. In addition to its new facility, Napoli’s fleet of delivery trucks is impressive, as well. The company has a combination of 40 tractor trucks, trailers and straight trucks serving New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.“Our straight trucks are outfitted with state-of-the-art, brand-new refrigerator units,” the company says. “Our tractor-trailer fleet features partitioned trailers where both frozen and refrigerated products are kept separate in their own enclosed space.

We make every effort to ensure that all of our trucks are in excellent working condition, and it is hard not to notice upon seeing any one of our trucks how clean we keep them. “Our operation depends on both modern equipment and old-fashioned know-how combined with common sense,” it continues. “We have always been proud of the cleanliness and organization of our warehouse.”

No-Frills Approach
In addition to its hands-on relationships with customers and vendors, an ethical way of doing business is part of the family owned firm’s core values, Cipriano says. Nowak says Napoli “supplies a generous dose of communication and educational material on a persistent basis” so customers can keep up with market conditions and industry trends.

“The simplicity of the way we do things sets us apart,” Nowak notes. “It’s always been about the no-frills approach – no games, no gimmicks. “A product or service can be distinguished by a gimmick, but that same gimmick rarely brings any value to the customer,” he adds. Napoli Foods is up-front about its pricing, which remains consistent throughout the duration of customer relationships, Cipriano says. “Let me make a small profit now, and it will still be a small profit later,” he notes. “We make dealing with customers very simple. A large part of our growth lies in our ability to retain what we have.”