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By Keith Loria
Pure Flavor began in 2003 by a trio of co-founders— President Jamie Moracci, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Moracci and Executive Vice President Matt Mastronardi—who were seeking an opportunity to utilize their produce backgrounds to gain ground and build relationships across the retail space.
Jamie Moracci, President, Pure Flavor
Over the last 16 years, the three have done just that, reaching new milestones year after year and making the Leamington, Ontario-based company a leader in organic growing.
“The three co-founders and University of Windsor graduates have been friends since they were kids, bringing not only that wealth of greenhouse-growing ties, but the family element as well,” says Chris Veillon, CMO of the company. “Through significant capital investments in land, growing and production, natural resources, construction, operations and general management, as well as research and development, sales and marketing and logistics, the company has been able to set themselves apart, and above, much of the competition.”
Jeff Moracci, CFO, Pure Flavor
Pure Flavor grows and markets an extensive variety of USDA Organic certified greenhouse grown vegetables such as Beefsteak Tomatoes, Juno Bites Red Grape Tomatoes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Sweet Bell Peppers, Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers and Mini Cucumbers. The company went through a complete brand refresh in 2018 with the goal of delivering a clear and consistent message across all its products, distribution channel, and consumer facing marketing initiatives.
For the 2019 Canadian growing season, it added Canadian-grown Organic Tomatoes on The Vine as well as Organic Long English Cucumbers to the ever-growing lineup of USDA Organic certified greenhouse grown vegetables.
Mastronardi says the demand for a complete line of greenhouse grown organic vegetables has been increasing year over year and Pure Flavor has been working with its family of growers throughout North America to develop key items to meet the retail and foodservice demand.
“This season, we are providing an organic alternative to key conventional items that are very popular with consumers,” he says. “The transition from a clamshell to a new top seal container for our Organic Juno Bites Red Grape Tomatoes is also helping increase our organics presence too.”
Matt Mastronardi, EVP, Pure Flavor
Pure Flavor unveiled its new packaging for the company’s organic line up at the United Fresh Trade Show in Chicago last June and at the Organic Produce Summit in Monterrey last July.
“Our organics presentation is consistent across all of the items in the program,” Veillon says. “We want to ensure customers see from our packaging that these items are USDA certified organic and are part of the Pure Flavor family of greenhouse grown vegetables.”
As a premium greenhouse vegetable grower, Pure Flavor’s customers are actively looking for the best products that they can buy with consistent being an operative word.
“The consistency in production is one of the biggest pros for greenhouse-grown vegetables,” Veillon says. “By controlling nearly all aspects of the greenhouse-growing environment, growers can produce an optimal growing climate for plants to thrive.”
Still, one of the biggest challenges the company faces is being able to meet the increasing demand across North America, as such, it plans on increasing the amount of produce it ships in 2019.
“The growth of the organic category has prompted us to expand our family of growers to meet the surging demand,” Veillon says. “Year-over-year growth demonstrates the importance that organics plays for consumers. Our passion for sustainable greenhouse growing, strong support for our retail and foodservice customers, and focus on engaging consumers is built on a foundation drawn from generations of growing expertise. We are the next generation of vegetable growers, inspired to put quality, flavor, and customers first by providing greenhouse-grown vegetables from our farms that are strategically located throughout North America.”
