Italian Fine Foods Holdings Adds T&R Wholesale Foods, Inc. to its Family of Companies ABOUT T&R WHOLESALE FOODS T&R Wholesale Foods, Inc. was originally founded in 1972 by Tommaso Cortese. He was born in the Puglia region of Italy and immigrated to the United States as a young man with a dream. Cortese’s start in the food business came when he opened a small Italian market in Agawam, Massachusetts. Noticing the expansion of grocery stores, he knew his market would not be able to compete with the larger stores. To differentiate himself from the supermarkets he began to sell items to local pizza shops, marking the inception of T&R Wholesale Foods, Inc. By 1981, Cortese moved from the market storefront to the current warehouse location in Agawam, Massachusetts. The facility was very small at first but gradually grew along with the business. Cortese’s sons Dominick and Tony started working for their father at a young age and would make deliveries to pizza shops in a small van. The van eventually turned into a few small trucks as the demand grew and customer base increased. In order to accommodate for the growing business, multiple warehouses and walk in refrigerators were added onto the existing building. Along with his sons, Cortese’s daughter Maria began working for the business when she was in high school. By 1995, the business was solely run by Dominick, Tony, and Maria. They continued to grow the business with their father’s guidance, becoming one of the largest food distributors in the Northeast. Along with their dedicated and longtime employees, T&R Wholesale Foods, Inc. has continued to serve and provide their loyal customers with quality products and exceptional service. T&R will now be a part of Napoli Foods. T&R and Napoli share the same goals of offering the finest foods possible at the lowest cost, while providing unparalleled customer services. Joining Napoli Foods will enable T&R to better support their pizzeria and restaurant community in the New England region.
The Last Bite // 4
