“With our marketing strengths in the retail and foodservice sectors, the partnership really fit the bill because Prima Bella is so good on product development and packaging,” said Bill Colace, co-owner of Five Crowns Marketing.
Five Crowns has for nearly 30 years marketed corn it grows in the California desert.
New value-added items Five Crowns plans to begin marketing immediately include Prima Bella’s Glori Ann label four-pack for retailers and corn coins, which Prima Bella developed specifically for foodservice, Colace said.
“The Prima Bella corn products will increase our sales quite a bit,” he said. “We’re anticipating the increase will be in the neighborhood of 1.5 million units a year.”
Reaction from retailers has been positive, Colace said.
“The retailers we’ve spoken to are very encouraged because of the service level that Five Crowns brings to the partnership,” he said.
The two family owned and operated companies are not strangers, Prima Bella owner Mark Bacchetti said. Five Crowns has supplied corn to the company for six years and Prima Bella built a plant at the Five Crowns’ cooling facility in Brawley 1½ years ago.
In addition to corn, Five Crowns Marketing grows and markets melons, citrus, asparagus, head lettuce and romaine.
“All of us at Five Crowns are very excited about this partnership and what it will do for both companies,” Colace said. “I think we’re taking the strengths of both companies and making both companies better.”
