Consumer Products and Services
FINALIST
Any company would be proud of the record that Tom Mazzetta has earned with The Mazzetta Co., LLC, a frozen seafood supplier. Even considering the volatile economic times experienced since opening 23 years ago, Mazzetta Co. has made money every quarter.
Mazzetta is most proud that the company has such a strong reputation for living up to its commitments.
He became an entrepreneur by recognizing an opportunity to meet a customer’s needs. As the top salesman at his first job, when a customer suggested a species of fish that the company didn’t currently sell, he offered to coordinate the buyers, suppliers and negotiating needed for his employer to comply.
However, management declined to do so, and Mazzetta met the customer’s demands through his own side venture. Subsequently, he broke away completely and launched the Mazzetta Co. in the same office building it resides in today.
He believes his strength is in knowing the seafood industry and not expanding into other types of frozen food products.
Mazzetta has established such a solid reputation for his company that many of his customers assume he inherited it — rather than building Mazzetta Co. himself from scratch with only himself and one other employee, who is still there today.
Mazzetta’s management style is to encourage employees, regardless of job title or role, to approach their job like they are running their own business.
He has been able to retain key talent with virtually no turnover by promoting a culture in which personnel speak up when they identify areas for improvement. Since Mazzetta himself rose in the seafood industry with companies that gave him a lot of authority and autonomy, he has never put a great emphasis on titles. All employees are diversified in their duties — buyers are also sellers and any level of staff may be included on a sales proposal.
How to reach: The Mazzetta Co., LLC, www.mazzetta.com
