Villari Foods Through the Years
- 1911
- 1915
- 1919
- 1925
- 1930
- 1940's
- 1950's
- 1970's
- 1977
- 1980's
- 1995
- 1996
- 2001
- 2010
- 2011
- 2015
- 2017
- 2016
- 2018
- Next
1911
Sam Villari, just 16 years old, emigrates from Sicily, Italy, with nothing but the clothes on his back and joins his sister and her family in Philadelphia, PA.
1915
Sam and his brother-in-law open a retail meat store in Philadelphia's 9th Street Italian Market.
From the beginning, Sam took great care to ensure quality for his customers. He would walk more than 40 miles to Lancaster, PA, buy a steer, walk it back to Philadelphia, and process it behind his store.
1919
A momentous occasion, as Sam is able to buy a used truck. He is often seen in his distinctive, wood-sided truck with the livestock he hand-selected at market.
Future generations of the Villari family would continue to revere Sam’s original red truck as a symbol of the company’s ongoing dedication to quality products and customers’ delight.
1925
Conception of Villari Foods
The family business, now known as Villari Foods, begins as Sam Villari opens his own meat packing plant (called S. Villari and Sons) in Philadelphia, PA. With the purchase of this plant, located at 220-230 Moore Street, Sam closes his butcher shop on 9th street. At this plant, Sam processed and sold lamb, veal, beef, and kosher beef to the surrounding metropolitan area.
1930
Sam adds a hog farm in New Jersey and starts trading, buying and selling livestock.
1940's
From and early age, Sam's sons worked by his side, learning first hand about the meat processing business.
Pepe (pictured below), Sam’s youngest son, could periodically be seen picking up livestock and delivering meat in Philadelphia at the young age of 12 years old.
1950's
John, Peter, and Pepe Villari (Sam's sons) take over daily operations and continue to build the meatpacking business.
Sam’s three sons assume more critical positions in the day-to-day operations. Pepe and John oversaw the whole operation, while Peter focused primarily on running the daily operations of the harvest plant. At this point the business (still S Villari and Sons) was processing beef, veal, lamb, and, mostly, pork; distributing mainly to smaller stores through Philadelphia and the surrounding area.
1970's
Sam's Son, Pete, relocated meat processing plant in Philadelphia
Sam eventually sold the meat packing plant on Moore Street to his son Pete, and sold the farm in New Jersey to his sons John and Pepe. After a few years of battling regulatory changes in inner city Philadelphia, Pete sold the plant on Moore street to the city and relocates the operation to 1100 South 31st St. & Grays Ferry Ave. At this plant, they processed about 75 hogs per day. Joe and Sam – in their teens at this time, and now owners of Villari Foods – could often be seen delivering hogs to this plant, or working on the line; helping out wherever they were needed.
1977
Two of Pepe's sons (Sam's grandsons), Sam and Joe, start a transportation business known as Villari Brothers Trucking.
1980's
Sam and Joe start livestock business, buying and selling hogs.
A few years after starting up their trucking business, Sam and Joe start S&J Livestock. During the 1980’s and early 1990’s, S&J Livestock opened up several livestock trading stations. These locations included Gumboro, DE (pictured), Snow Hill, MD, Smyrna, DE, Westville, NJ, Leola, PA, St. Paris, OH., Spivey’s Corner, NC, Beaulaville, NC, and the largest station in Wilson, NC.
1995
Rocco Villari, Pepe's youngest son, joins brothers Sam and Joe in the family business.
1996
Sam, Joe, and Rocco purchased harvest plant in Warsaw, North Carolina.
2001
The 3rd generation of Villari brothers, Sam, Joe, and Rocco, opened The Pork Company in Warsaw, North Carolina.
2010
Sam, Joe and Rocco purchase a meat processing plant in Micro, N.C., to begin smoked meats operations.
2011
Smoked meats production moves to Warsaw and begins operating under Villari Brothers, the newly-formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Villari Foods.
2015
Villari Brothers smoked meats operations doubles in capacity.
2017
The Pork Company’s harvesting capacity increased by 40%.
2016
Villari launches Never EverTM premium pork, raised without antibiotics, and the Smokehouse CraftedTM line of fully cooked smoked chicken and rib products. Plans are underway for the launch of Villari Brothers Organic pork.
2018
Villari is proud to offer a full line of USDA Certified Organic fresh pork. USDA regulations for organic meat require that animals be raised in living conditions that accommodate their natural behaviors, fed 100% organic feed and forage and not administered antibiotics or hormones.
Next
Villari Foods remains committed to growing and meeting customers' evolving needs, while maintaining the highest standards of quality, food safety, business integrity and customer service.
