The Ronzoni Story

The Ronzoni story started in the early 1880s, when Emanuele Ronzoni, a teenage immigrant from Italy landed his first job in the United States as a helper in a small macaroni factory. Through hard work in a series of jobs in macaroni plants that furthered his knowledge of the pasta trade, he earned enough money to go into business for himself.

Emanuele’s timing proved to be fortuitous. A steady stream of immigrants from Italy during the late 1880s and on into the new century created a sizable ethnic market for macaroni products, especially in large eastern cities. However, importers also had arrived on U.S. shores to serve Italian-Americans the various products they had eaten at home. And these importers controlled the bulk of the business. Moreover, domestically produced pasta was not very popular, mainly because it was not very good. An American plant pathologist, Mark Carelton, tried to correct this situation. To the plains farmers, he introduced Russian durum wheat, from which the best macaroni is derived, and then campaigned to make the superior product popular.

World events soon took a hand in the process, however, when war in Europe completely disrupted the importation of manufactured products. Domestic producers, including Ronzoni, were handed a market overnight and began supplying the durum wheat semolina macaroni so flavored by Italian-Americans. Machinery manufacturers, sensing the potential of the market, started building machines, previously found only on the continent, that would produce the many varieties of pasta products.

By the time the war ended, the Ronzoni Macaroni Company was firmly established and became incorporated in New York State. Through Emanuele’s untiring efforts to produce the best quality macaroni, spaghetti and egg noodles, the business flourished. As immigrants arrived, they began adopting American ways and products. And for newly-arrived Italian-Americans, the Ronzoni brand products were as good, if not better, than those available at home. Their satisfaction made Ronzoni’s Genoa-style macaroni (fancy-cut shapes) the best known in the country.

Sales volumes soared. In 1925 a new factory was built several blocks from the original structure in Long Island City. By now, Emanuele had been joined by his growing family and a second generation was getting ready to operate the business.

Buying patterns were changing. Consumer carton packaging started to replace Ronzoni’s traditional bulk sales in 20-pound wooden cases. But whatever the container, sales of product continued to climb. In 1950, a new, modern facility was opened.

Six years later Emanuele Ronzoni died and was succeeded by his son Emanuele, Jr., as president. In the following two decades the Ronzoni Company achieved its most significant growth. It became the largest pasta concern in the New York metropolitan area. It led the industry in moving from batch-by-batch manufacturing to a continuous-operation system employing the most modern methods of production. The company created pasta machinery innovations which continue to influence the industry today, and patented a variety of new pasta shapes.

During the 1960s, a third generation of Ronzonis, the sons of Emanuele, Jr., Angelo and Raymond (who headed sales) began taking an active part in the operation. Recognizing the need in the market for an authentic Italian sauce, Ronzoni purchased a small sauce business in 1965, which became the spring-board for an ultramodern spaghetti sauce facility which Ronzoni opened in 1968 in Hicksville, Long Island. And to keep pace with the growing demand for Ronzoni products, the Julietta Macaroni Company of Brooklyn was acquired the year after. To the sauce production, a new frozen line of Italian specialties was added in Hicksville in 1975.

Ronzoni entered the 1980s clearly one of the leading pasta makers in the country with sales in more than 25 metropolitan areas across the country including Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

On February 21, 1984 the Ronzoni Foods Company was acquired by the newly created Meals division of General Foods. Six years later, on February 12, 1990 Hershey Foods Corporation completed the purchase of Ronzoni Foods Company from Kraft General Foods, Inc. Hershey acquired Ronzoni’s dry pasta, pasta sauces and cheese businesses. The acquired business had 1989 sales of approximately $85 million.