Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1963-04-10

, Joe's father and uncle were i'm
a general line of produce just
as their father before them
had been. Joe was the third
generation of Cerniglias that
was earning its livelihood in
Atlanta in the produce bust
ness.
But Joe was young and
fresh out of the infantry where
he served as a lieutenant for
more than three years. On his
first day at home following
his discharge, he went off by
himself and simply thought
out the produce business. II
came to the conclusion that
if l could put up the very best
quality package, / could sell
it to more people and for more
money than anyone else. And
l set out right then to do it,"
he says.
His next ii years is a real
American story of rags to
riches, possibly unsurpassed
by anyone. Starting slowly, he
and his associates grew into
the largest tomato re-packers
in America and the Dixon and
Tom-A-Toe Companies, with
20 corporations associated, was
headed by Joe Cerniglia as
president when he sold out in
1855.
That Tomato organization at
one time had as many as 5000
acres of tomatoes grown in
, this country and Mexico.
II sold out at good price
and left fine business be-
cause it no longer offered any
challenge. We had reached the
top and l was still young al
! "a. wanted TO get into some
thing that could use my ener-
gy and effort. That's why
left the tomato business.
unfortunately, there are
too many people who rate sue
cess by how many dollars you
have made. Success to me is
the fulfilling of a dream, the
net result of accepting and
beating d challenge. just this
put me into the strawberry
business" Cerniglia says to-
day.
Following a few brief mon
tbs of inactivity, Cerniglia
hitched into a Florida mush-
room growing and marketing
deal. While American Foods
still markets all the fresh
mushroom crops in Florida, he
no longer is growing mush-
rooms but has shifted his en-
ergieS to Strawberries in south
ern Florida where bare
handful was then being pro-
duced
Last year, American Foods
marketed approximately 1000
acres of Florida berries and
marketed nearly 1890 acres
this season. His company was
the first in the country to
grow sizeable acreages of
berries through polyethelene
and successfully grew l65
acres by this method after its
first year. More than 80 per-
cent of the Florida crop is now
being produced in this man
ner.
When he shifted the con-
tainerS for berries to IL pint
flats, it marked the first major
change in Florida berry pack :
aging in 80 years.
Cerniglia saw the need for
berry deals further North
than Miami 50 that consumers
throughout the nation could
be served by American Foods
msnth after month. That
prompted his original expan-
sion to Burgaw in 1861, and
to Tabor City last year. But
that isn't all-he now has in
Pemberton, New Jersey, an
other preceding plant and
expects to handle a minimum
Of 250,00e flats of blueber-
ries in that area. He entered
that new business, the blue
berry in Burgaw two years
ago, and is assured of expand
ed volume in that business this
year.
In so far as strawberries are
concerned, American Foods
handled about 10000 flats in
1861 and more than 100000
flats last year. They expect a
considerable growth above
T. LII