PRIDE.

That is the word that best sums up what enabled Procacci Brothers Sales Corp. to not only survive in the produce industry for 70 years, but to also thrive. Founded in 1948 by brothers Joe and Mike Procacci selling repacked tomatoes out of their Camden, NJ, basement, the Philadelphia-based company has grown to be a leader in the field in the North American produce industry, running a vertically integrated operation that does everything from developing the seed that is planted in the fields to delivering the final product — some 1,200 SKUs daily — to the loading dock of the local supermarket.Procacci Brothers was founded in 1948 by brothers Joseph G. and Michael J. Procacci, shown here in this undated photo sharing a desk at their Philadelphia headquarters. They died a week apart from each other in 2017.

Procacci Brothers developed into the industry powerhouse it is today by closely sticking to its core values: passion, respect, integrity, determination and excellence, centering around providing customers with quality produce coupled with premium service. Procacci Brothers is responsible for a number of industry firsts, most notably introducing the grape tomato to America with its Santa Sweets brand.

“Our philosophy and everything we do is to make sure that our customer comes first, up and down the line,” J.M. Procacci, chief executive officer said. “We are dedicated to putting the best product out there.”

He added that much of Procacci Brothers’ success stems from the dedication his father Joe and uncle Mike instilled in the company through the years. “It has often been said if there was a hall of fame in produce, my father would be Babe Ruth,” Procacci said.

In addition to Procacci Brothers produce and floral distribution, the Procacci family of companies includes Santa Sweets and Gargiulo, together one of North America’s largest fresh tomato grower-packer-shipper; BHN Research, one of the world’s largest tomato seed companies; Santa Sweets, a year-round grower-packer-shipper of tomatoes and other items; Greenstripe, an international grower-packer-shipper of table grapes; Garden State Farms, operating three units in the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market; GS Distribution, a direct store distribution business serving more than 300 independent supermarkets in the Northeast; and NANCO Cold Storage, which accommodates the storage, packing and distribution needs of produce importers.

“Our companies run independently, but we all rely one another to make all of the operations successful. We work together day-to-day,” said Rick Feighery, vice president of sales. “All of the companies under the umbrella of Procacci Holdings supply the needs of our customers.”

In North America, Procacci Holdings Co. LLC employs close to 8,000 people. It operates in multiple locations, including the San Francisco Bay area, Central California, Los Angles, Arizona, Mexico, Florida, Puerto Rico, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Philadelphia. “We also have research and development operations all over the world,” J.M. Procacci said.

Procacci Holdings is also a firm believer in giving back. It started the Joseph Procacci Foundation three years ago. “One of our main programs that we have is the Estrella Naciente (Rising Stars) College Scholarship Program that benefits Hispanic high school students in South Jersey,” said Gabrielle Procacci, director of community outreach, executive director of charity golf tournament, and J.M.’s daughter. J.M.’s son, Joseph III, is also closely involved in the business as director of Procacci Holdings Co.

“A lot of our labor comes from the Hispanic community and we thought this was a great way to give back to our workforce,” Gabrielle Procacci said.

“We donate resources to the East Coast Migrant Farmworkers Community. They support schools for the migrant farmworkers and their children,” said Gabrielle Procacci.

Through its work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Procacci has been identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as an excellent candidate to receive political refugees from Central and South America to work at its agricultural operations in Mexico. The company is actively working with the UNHCR to begin integrating refugee workers into their workforce during the Fall/Winter growing season.

Another deeply instilled belief at Procacci is being stewards of the environment.

“That is one of the reasons why at BHN Research we create environmentally friendly seeds that require less applications of pesticides,” J.M. Procacci said. “Our facilities in New Jersey are sustainable in that we have just under two megawatts of solar panels to power our packing-house.”

“In 70 years we’ve come a long way from where we started in a basement in Camden to being an international grower, shipper and distributor,” said Mike Maxwell, president. “We’re well prepared for the next 70 years. The third generation of Procaccis have started, and the fourth generation has just been born. This is a family-owned business that treats its employees like family and we’re well situated for the future.”