________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Collaborative concepts
DeIorio’ s growth is illustrated by the recent expansion of its holding freezer capacity and the addition of a new production line, all of which the company has invested in over the past year.“ The freezer expansion allows us to consolidate our storage on-site, eliminating the freight and labor cost of transferring product and putting more of our inventory under our direct control,” explains Jackie. With a brand-new line significantly expanding DeIorio’ s capacity, it means the business can serve existing customers more efficiently, bring on new customers more easily, and drive cost savings as it scales. This facility upgrade comes at a time when customer demand is shifting – particularly around better-for-you products – and custom products are becoming more sought after.
“ Many customers are transitioning from traditional dough balls to more labor-friendly solutions, such as sheeted dough or parbaked pizza shells,” notes John.“ In the better-for-you category, we’ ve seen demand for cauliflower pizza shells level off, leading customers to seek new and innovative alternatives. To meet that demand, we’ ve expanded our portfolio to include options such as sweet potato and red lentil pizza shells.” He also highlights the increasing importance of custom and proprietary products, as customers look to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.“ A lot of customers will approach us with their ideas, concepts, or recipes – we then work collaboratively to develop a unique product or flavor profile that meets their vision in a reasonably fast time.”
“ Everything comes back to the customer,” adds Jackie.“ They want a custom product delivered consistently, at a cost that works for them, without having to build that capability
74