By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald staff writer
Posted: 08/07/2009
Mike Ghirinhelli, president of Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods, center, poses with his managers, Al Rivas, left, and Everett Wilson, who help to run the specialty food plant. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
Despite a sour economy in which layoffs are rampant, Ghiringhelli Specialty Foods in Vallejo recently expanded, a company official said.
The firm, which makes fresh and frozen foods like salads and pizza for retail chain stores like Costco and Trader Joe's, moved last November to Benicia Road in Vallejo. At a recent job fair, 50 people were hired, bringing its work force to 145.
"At least 90 percent are local," owner Mike Ghiringhelli said. "And much of our upper management has moved here, purchased homes here."
The company develops and manufactures mostly private-label fresh foods which are distributed to more than 5,000 retail stores nationwide, according to the company's Web site.
Ghiringhelli and business partner Eddy Ferrero of Vallejo announced last year they were moving to town. Following a significant remodeling of the former Benicia Road moving and storage company property, the operation moved from its longtime San Pablo home, said Ghiringhelli, a Novato resident.
More than 200 people showed up for the company's job fair last month, Ghiringhelli said.
Margee Longneck of Vallejo said she's one employee who moved with the firm from San Pablo.
"It's wonderful to just roll out of bed and get to work," she said. "I live five minutes away."
Ghiringhelli, 51, and Ferrero, 45, started a pizzeria in Fairfax about 25 years ago, which has grown into the present enterprise, Ghiringhelli said.
While the pizza restaurant remains, the plant moved to San Pablo where it spent nearly a decade before the owners started searching for a place to expand. The move to Vallejo was the answer, Ghiringhelli said.
"We searched all over the Bay Area and as far as Modesto, before we found this space and we're happy with it," Ghiringhelli said. "We're really enamored with the way we've been treated by the city."
Ghiringhelli said company management is gearing up to have the plant operating at full capacity, and will eventually need to further expand and hire even more people. The plant employs everything from chefs who develop new recipes, to maintenance, quality control and sanitation personnel, he said.
Contact staff writer Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at (707) 553-6824 or RachelZ@thnewsnet.com.
